Couple travelling to Saudi Arabia along with their daughter for 'begging' arrested in Faisalabad

FAISALABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Immigration unit arrested a family attempting to travel to Saudi Arabia with the intent of 'begging'.

According to the FIA, the arrested individuals, identified as Manawar Hussain and Shafia Bibi, were traveling with their child.

The agency's spokesperson revealed that the suspects have a history of traveling to Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia for begging purposes.

Earlier this month, the same individuals were offloaded from a flight at Lahore Airport. The suspects have been handed over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Circle for legal proceedings.

Saudi Arabia has reportedly issued a warning to Pakistan to take action against the growing number of Pakistani beggars arriving in the country under the guise of religious pilgrimage.

Express Tribune newspaper reported on Tuesday that the Saudi authorities have also warned that if the situation is not controlled, it could negatively affect Pakistani Umrah and Hajj pilgrims.

"The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has issued a warning to Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs, urging action to prevent Pakistani beggars from entering the kingdom under Umrah visas," the newspaper said.

In response, Pakistan's Ministry of Religious Affairs has decided to introduce an "Umrah Act," which aims to regulate travel agencies facilitating Umrah trips, bringing them under legal oversight, the paper said.