KARACHI: As the operation to rescue children forced into begging intensifies by Sindh Child Protection Authority in association with Sindh Police during the month of Ramzan, it has been decided to take concrete efforts to rehabilitate the minors during the process so that they may not be pushed again in the menace of child beggary.

The Sindh Child Protection Authority and Police Department have formed seven (07) special teams in all seven districts of Karachi Division with Child Protection Officers leading the campaign to initiate crackdown against professional and criminal record holding beggars as part of efforts to rid the provincial capital from the issue of child beggary. The personnel of district police, traffic police and CLA will also assist these special teams to curb professional beggary and organized criminal gangs feigned as beggars.

The Director General, SCPA said the children involved in begging will be taken into custody by Sindh Child Protection Authority to house them in Shelter Home for destitute Children, Malir for rehabilitation. The Director General, SCPA further said that FIRs will be registered against the handlers of child beggary.

Sindh Child Protection Authority urges the general public to cooperate and avoid giving / doing out money to the child beggars as their act will not help groom positively these destitute children in their future ahead. It is further informed that earlier Sindh Child Protection Authority during last few months rescued 155 children from the prominent begging points in the districts of South, East, Malir, Central and West which resulted in the arrest of 547 handlers with lodging 211 FIRs through Police and Child Protection Officers against the latter. SCPA has further planned to replicate the similar Anti Beggary Drive across the Province.