By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: The beggars from the down country started arriving here in large number much earlier than the previous year who are being seen in different streets, roads, shopping places, bus stands, in front of mosques and even in government offices beseeching for alms.
The local people observed that with the completion of Lowari tunnel project, the number of beggers coming to the area in the summer season has exponentially increased to the much annoyance of the locals.
The arrival of the beggars is being seen as being seen with apprehensions by the locals in the wake of the dread of coronavirus spread to this mountainous region.
Syed Nazir, a resident of Zargarandeh village said that the beggers caused to contaminate the clean environment of the city and they generated effluence in large quantity in the open field where they encamped.
He said that the multitude of beggars distribute themselves to the different localities and tourist resorts of the district including Garam Chashma, Kalash valleys, Booni, Golen and Sheshi Koh while majority of them resided in the Chitral town.
He said that in the prevailing situation when the people are being restricted to their homes to contain the spread of coronavirus, the unchecked influx of the beggars into the district is highly questionable who must be sent back from the border of Chitral at Lowari tunnel.
Referring to a passenger coming from Islamabad on Wednesday morning, he said that two coasters (carrying 32 passengers each) full of beggars had entered the district in the morning time along with the flying coach he was travelling in.
The district police officer Waseem Riaz Khan when contacted, said that the beggars will be sent back to the down districts and they will be booked under KP Vagrancy Restraint Act 2020 if they refused to leave the district.
He said that in future, it will be endeavored by police force to identify the beggars in the entrance point at Lowari tunnel and extradite them to the down country on being spotted.
