In many parts of Pakistan, giving money to beggars is part of the worship ritual as donations are believed to result in answered prayers. This has led to the establishment of “beggar mafias” and the kidnapping of children to serve in them.

In many parts of Pakistan, giving money to beggars is part of the worship ritual as donations are believed to result in answered prayers.

The dark side of the generosity is that some wishing to take advantage have formed “beggar mafias”. As children bring in more donations, kidnapping them has become a regular practice.

Once pulled into the gangs some are intentionally disfigured and disabled so they will spark sympathy and garner extra donations. Most are made unrecognizable to their friends and families through head shaving and tattooing.

Child beggars at religious shrines are such a regular sight that police rarely inquire about how they got there. Yet, in Karachi alone 3 thousand children went missing in 2010.

Kidnapping for ransom is also a big problem in the country.

Of the approximately 15 thousand child thefts occurring each year, 10 to 20 percent of them are followed by a payment request.

Children in Pakistan face one of the highest risks of ransom motivated kidnapping in the world. Only 4 countries are considered to be more dangerous – Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, and Nigeria.