Islamabad, May 15 (V7N) – Saudi Arabia has deported more than 5,000 Pakistani nationals on charges of begging over the past 16 months, according to official government data presented in the Pakistani National Assembly.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi revealed this information during a session on Wednesday (May 14), in response to a question raised by Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MP Sehar Kamran.

According to Naqvi, a total of 5,402 Pakistanis have been deported from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since January 2024 on charges related to begging. Among them, 552 individuals returned to Pakistan between January and April 2025.

Though the lawmaker requested data covering the past three years, the interior minister said complete figures were unavailable at the moment.

Province-wise data shows that the highest number of deportees — 2,795 individuals — hailed from Sindh province. Punjab followed with 1,437 cases. The rest include:

  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 102

  • Balochistan: 125

  • Azad Kashmir: 33

  • Islamabad: 10

Additionally, 369 individuals from five other countries were arrested on similar charges, further raising concerns about the growing issue of organized begging networks exploiting vulnerable people and tarnishing Pakistan’s international image.

The report has sparked debate over poverty, unemployment, and lack of effective migration oversight, with opposition members demanding more comprehensive steps to address the root causes driving citizens to seek livelihoods abroad through such means.

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