Battagram plagued by professional beggars.

BATTAGRAM -- The residents have complained about the growing menace of professional beggary here and blamed it on the failure of the district administration and police to crackdown on it.

They told Dawn that professional beggars, whose number had increased in the district over a period of time, operated in groups and stayed in markets, on streets and major roads and outside mosques from morning to late hours.

Naseer Khan told Dawn that beggars falsely claimed that they were not professional beggars, and poverty, joblessness or health issues had forced them to seek alms.

He said the beggars, especially women and children, were mostly seen in busy places like United Market, Ajmal Market, Wagon Adda and main Karakoram Highway.

Another resident, Salimullah, complained about the growing number of professional beggars in the area and demanded an effective crackdown on them.

He said professional beggary had exposed the failure of the...