Re: the lil kid
I think govt is planing to do something, and people should come forward and help.
Punjab govt to crack down on child beggars
Staff Report
LAHORE: Provincial Adviser for Children’s Rights Dr Faiza Asghar on Saturday said the Punjab government would launch a comprehensive plan for the rehabilitation and vocational training of more than 5,000 children who spent their time begging in the city.
Presiding over a meeting to discuss the issue of child beggars, Dr Faiza laid out a detailed plan to eradicate the menace from the society. She also elaborated on plans to rehabilitate the children in special premises set up by the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and to impart vocational skill training while counselling the children’s parents at the same time.
Social Welfare Secretary Qazi Afaq Hussain said there were 400 points in the city where trucks drop the beggars early in the morning and pick them up late after midnight. Each child is “allotted” a certain area and they are not allowed to trespass into each other’s “jurisdiction”, he added.
As we enter a lane leading to a shopping centre, restaurant or other public places, children dressed in rags continue to flock us, begging for alms.
Some children carry ball pens, pencils, pocket size Islamic books, daily use articles or decoration pieces in their hands. "I am not a beggar but when I fail to persuade people to buy my merchandise, I seek some monetary assistance from them to earn livelihood for my family," said Naeem, a decoration pieces vendor near an ice cream shop at Regal.
Most of the beggar children hang out in front of different restaurants and hotels to beg alms and collect remnants of food for family and themselves.
"They are professionals and bother our customers, especially families. We give them food but they return and continue to beg," said Bashir, a tikka shop owner at Lakshmi Chowk.
These child beggars have different stories to tell which they make their foray into the world of beggary. Many of these beggars turn into petty criminals.
"Some child beggars do get arrested for committing petty crimes around the Darbar. But we free them after keeping them in custody for some hours so that they give up the crimes. We register cases against habitual thieves and pickpockets only," said Malik Iraz Kamboh, Incharge of Police Post at Data Darbar, Lahore.
These beggar children live away from home and are more prone to crimes and fatal diseases. "I have been sleeping in a under bus stop shade for four years. Only rain creates problems for me. This place is safe from thieves, dogs and police who usually interrogate us when we are caught sleeping in public places," said Liaquat (not his real name). These days he sleeps on the roof of a bus stop.
Akram, who has been manning a place (begging spot) at Lakshmi Chowk opposite Butt Karahi Shop hails from Multan and has a sad story to tell.
"I came to Lahore some four years ago with my mother for the treatment of my father, a TB patient. I was then a student of Class 5 in Multan. My father died and we decided to live in Lahore as we did not have a source of income in Multan. In the beginning I was employed by a trader as salesman but after two months I quit the job due to the maltreatment of my employer. I started begging instead," he said.
"We do go home every six months but the charm of Lahore is too enticing. Once I earn enough I would set up a shop and lead a respectable life. I would try to forget my this life. But never will I bring my younger brother here. I know he will go wayward," said Mushtaq who hails from Sialkot and lives in the Data Darbar premises.
Contrary to Mushtaq's views some beggars have lost hope for a better life in future. "We are destined to beg and live on charity. It is the will of God. We spend our time at this sacred place (Data Darbar)," said Jamal of a village near Okara.
Abject poverty and increasing joblessness are other factors responsible for child beggary in the city. "My father was jobless and still is. He asked me to earn some money so I started selling cold water outside Lohari Gate last summer. That had to come to an end as the weather changed. Some of my clients still give me money out of kindness. I accept money from anyone now. This has become my source of income. I give that money to my parents and they do not object to my begging," said Shakeel, a boy of Shahdara.
There are some 4.3 million jobless people in the country and the rate of real unemployment has touched 10.4 per cent. Although there is increase in foreign currency reserves and exports, poverty is increasing and as a result beggary is also increasing. "The jobless people use their children to support their families," said M. Jamil, an independent economist.
Inconsiderate behaviour of the society is also responsible for child beggary. A woman clad in black burqa at Lakshmi Chowk said, "After I was divorced my brothers and father refused to support me and my four children. I had no choice but to beg with my eight-year-old son, the sole bread winner (beggar) of the family."
Officials at the Punjab Welfare Department said the Chief Minister's Secretariat, Punjab Welfare Department and Baitul Maal have finalised a programme to stamp out menace of beggary from society. They said the government will take up this issue at various forums including schools and colleges to create awareness among the people. Apart from this Punjab Baitul Maal would give soft loans to parents of child beggars to start small businesses.
and like, i dont think he had eaten lunch or brek.. i wuda bought him some but like the taxi was in the middle of the road and like i was getting late for office 
and then the signal turned green…
i am driving my mehran now 