(EDITORIAL) The Deputy Commissioner of Lahore, Mr Zafrul Ahsan, was reported to have Exed February 9 as the deadline after which begging in Lahore would be considered a penal offence. If this wellintentioned proposal had worked according to schedule, the city of Lahore must have by now become free from beggars. If penalisation of this offence alone could stop begging, beggars might have long become an extinct species in many cities of India and Pakistan. In spite of legislation and the coercive force of law, the problem exists today perhaps in an aggravated form at several places. Its solution defies any attempt at oversimplification.

Karachi, where the problem of beggars has been comparatively less serious, has in recent months witnessed a large increase in population of this fraternity. Besides the large number of physically disabled men and women for whom there is no other ostensible means of livelihood except through private charity, here in Karachi there has sprung up in recent months a fairly large community of `respectable beggars` who appear on the pavement after sunset.