Pakistan, April 21 -- Last November, Pakistan made headlines for all the wrong reasons when Saudi authorities issued us a stern warning, not over weapons or geopolitical alliances, but a deluge of beggars. Rightly so, as the Kingdom, according to Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, has already deported 4,700 Pakistanis for begging under its Anti?Begging Regulation. While this proves to be a point of schadenfreude for those inclined to see Pakistan in a negative light, it strikes as the culmination of years of unchecked exploitation and policy failure.

Overseas Employment Promoters in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Karachi charge between Rs 50,000 and Rs 100,000 to place would?be beggars on Umrah visas, taking a share of every rupee they collect in M...