The Punjab Cabinet has approved amendments to the province’s anti-begging law, escalating penalties for those forcing others to beg and making it a non-bailable offence, officials said on Tuesday.
The amendments to The Punjab Vagrancy Ordinance 1958 increase jail terms and fines for leaders of begging mafias.
Under the revised law, a ring leader forcing a single person to beg could face up to three years in prison and a fine of Rs100,000 to Rs300,000.
Failure to pay the fine may result in an additional six months in jail.
Forcing multiple individuals to beg could lead to a sentence of 3 to 5 years and a fine between Rs300,000 and Rs500,000, with similar additional penalties for non-payment of fines.
Stricter punishments are prescribed for cases involving children, with sentences ranging from 5 to 7 years and fines from Rs500,000 to Rs700,000.
If fines are unpaid, an additional year in prison will be imposed.
In the most severe cases, where a person is disabled and forced to beg, the punishment extends to 7 to 10 years in prison, with fines of Rs1 million to Rs2 million.
An extra two years in jail will be added for unpaid fines.
Repeat offenders will face double the original sentence and fines, according to the new provisions.
The amendments are part of a broader crackdown by the Punjab Home Department on professional begging networks. “These enhanced penalties are essential to deter the begging mafias and hold them accountable,” a Punjab Home Department spokesperson said.
Separately, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has said that the care of deserving special persons is responsibility of the state.
The CM participated in a ceremony to sign a MoU (memorandum of understanding) between Department of Social Welfare and Bank of Punjab for the issuance of Himmat Cards (ATM Cards) to 65,000 special people across Punjab, through which Rs 10,500 will be paid to them every quarter.
The chief minister directed the authorities concerned to start payment through Himmat cards by September 15. She said: “Special people are very special to us.”
CM Maryam Nawaz was apprised that Himmat Cards will be issued to 40,000 people in phase-I and to 25,000 people in phase-II. She was also briefed that a 30 per cent quota had been reserved for women in the issuance of Himmat Card to deserving special persons. She was briefed that a dedicated helpline 1312 has been set up for the assistance of deserving special persons.
The MoU was signed by Secretary Social Welfare Javed Akhtar Mahmood and President Bank of Punjab Zafar Masood.
Provincial Minister for Social Welfare Sohail Shaukat Butt, MPA Sania Ashiq, and Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman, Chairman P&D Nabil Awan, DG Social Welfare Amna Munir and other relevant officers were also present.
