5,327 Beggars Removed From Various Traffic Signals
LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Sep, 2026)
The Punjab government launched a major anti-beggary crackdown and pilot rehabilitation campaign to make Lahore a beggar-free city. The Home Department, under instructions from Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, selected Lahore for the first phase of clearing professional and organised begging networks from public spaces, roads, and traffic signals.
Home Department official sources told APP that a total of 5,327 beggars were removed from various traffic signals this year, this figure includes 1,970 men, 2,207 women, 608 transgender individuals, and 505 children.
Furthermore, more operations have been intensified, as Special Squads are formed by the City Traffic Police Lahore (CTPL) and law enforcement to target professional handlers, fake disability claims, and organised rings.
The Home Department sources further noted that alongside legal action and registering cases under the Anti-beggary Act, the traffic police and social welfare departments have introduced a pilot rehabilitation project offering vocational training for vulnerable individuals. 947 beggars who persisted in the practice had cases registered against them.
In this connection, Punjab Safe City Authority has also utilised modern surveillance and monitoring technology to track and dismantle active begging mafias across the city.