CTPL detain 99 beggars in crackdown at traffic signals

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Jul, 2026) City Traffic Police Lahore (CTPL) on Wednesday detained 99 beggars during a city-wide crackdown launched on the directions of Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Syed Abdul Raheem Shirazi to eliminate begging at traffic signals.

According to a CTPL spokesperson,the operation was carried out by a special anti-begging team headed by Inspector Faheema Zeeshan.

The detained beggars were handed over to the Social Welfare Department, Edhi Homes and other welfare institutions, while abandoned children were shifted to the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau.

The CTO directed Safe City traffic monitoring teams to keep field officers informed in real time to ensure that no child, elderly person,woman,transgender person or individual exploiting a disability is allowed to beg at traffic signals.

He said dedicated anti-begging teams had been constituted and large buses provided to facilitate the operation.

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He added that,with the assistance of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA),the identities of detained habitual beggars were being verified and FIRs were being registered where required.

The CTO said efforts were also under way to trace habitual beggars involved in tampering with traffic signals during night hours.

Shirazi urged citizens not to give money to professional beggars, said their hard-earned income should not fall into the hands of fraudsters.

He said begging at traffic signals not only disrupted the smooth flow of traffic but also increased the risk of road accidents.

He added that discouraging professional begging would help improve both public welfare and traffic management, noting that many habitual beggars resorted to fake disabilities to gain public sympathy.

He appealed to citizens to cooperate with the traffic police in discouraging such practices.