Pakistan govt places 4,300 beggars on ECL

Pakistan has placed the names of 4,300 beggars on the Exit Control List (ECL) to address Saudi Arabia's concerns of Pakistanis begging durig Hajj and Umrah seasons.

Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi, met with the Deputy Minister of Interior of Saudi Arabia, with Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Saeed Ahmad Al-Malki also present during the meeting.

The discussion focused on matters of mutual interest and the enhancement of Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations, including the exchange of personnel between paramilitary forces and police, as well as joint training programs.

Minister Naqvi proposed declaring Islamabad and Riyadh as twin cities, to which the Saudi Minister agreed, and it was decided that necessary actions would be taken to formalize the proposal.

The meeting also addressed the crackdown on the mafia involved in sending beggars from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia. The Interior Minister stated that the names of 4,300 beggars had been added to the ECL, and that Pakistan had a zero-tolerance policy toward beggars traveling to Saudi Arabia.

Minister Naqvi said that an effective crackdown against such beggar mafias was underway across the country.

Both nations also agreed to implement the prisoner exchange agreement, and the Interior Minister mentioned that legal procedures for the repatriation of 419 Pakistani prisoners from Saudi Arabia would be completed soon.

He reiterated that Saudi Arabia, being a brotherly Islamic country, would continue to receive full cooperation in furthering bilateral relations.

It is noteworthy that recently, Saudi Arabia expressed serious concern over the increasing number of Pakistani beggars entering the Kingdom under Hajj and Umrah visas.

The Saudi Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a warning to Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, urging action to prevent beggars from entering the Gulf nation on Umrah visas.