Pakistani Couple Arrested for travelling to Saudi Arabia to Beg

The Federal Investigation Agency’s (FIA) Immigration unit apprehended a family attempting to travel to Saudi Arabia to beg.

The individuals, identified as Manawar Hussain and Shafia Bibi, were travelling with their child when they were taken into custody.

According to an FIA spokesperson, the couple had a history of undertaking trips to countries such as Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia to beg.

Earlier in September 2024, they had been removed from a flight at Lahore Airport due to suspicions about their travel intentions.

The agency reported that the suspects were unable to provide legitimate sources of income or satisfactory explanations for their expenses.

Further scrutiny revealed that Hussain and Bibi had no records of tax returns with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). This raised additional red flags about their financial situation.

Additionally, they lacked return tickets or hotel bookings for their intended stay in Saudi Arabia, which is often a requirement for travellers.

This incident is part of a worrying trend. In July 2024, the FIA arrested 11 individuals, including eight women, at Karachi Airport who were also on their way to Saudi Arabia.

They were travelling under the guise of performing Umrah.

In that case, the travellers were offloaded when it was discovered that their return tickets and hotel reservations were fake.

The situation has drawn the attention of Saudi authorities, who have issued a warning to Pakistan regarding the increasing number of beggars.

They all arrive in the country disguised as religious pilgrims.

The Saudi Ministry of Hajj has urged Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs to prevent individuals from entering Saudi Arabia under Umrah visas.

Officials in Saudi Arabia have expressed concern that the actions of these individuals could harm the reputation of genuine Pakistani pilgrims.

In response to these growing concerns, Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs is taking proactive measures by planning to introduce an “Umrah Act”.

This legislation will aim to regulate the activities of travel agencies that facilitate Umrah trips, bringing them under stricter legal oversight.

Additionally, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has conveyed a message to Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Ahmed Al-Malki.

He has said that the government is committed to implementing strict measures to address this issue.

Meanwhile, the FIA has been tasked with leading a crackdown on the misuse of Umrah visas.