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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Saturday a sweeping crackdown was underway against a “beggar mafia” accused of exploiting visas to solicit money in ������Ƶ, a practice officials warn is damaging the country’s image and could affect genuine visa-seekers, including religious pilgrims.

The practice has drawn complaints from Riyadh in the past, prompting the administration in Islamabad to direct the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to take measures to curb the trend.

Last year, Pakistan said it had added more than 4,000 individuals accused of abusing visas for begging to a no-fly list.

“‎Mohsin Naqvi stated that a comprehensive crackdown is being carried out against the mafia involved in begging in ������Ƶ,” said a statement released after his meeting with the Saudi envoy, Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki. “A zero-tolerance policy has been adopted against the beggar mafia.”

During his visit to the Saudi embassy in Islamabad, the minister also praised Riyadh’s role in supporting Pakistan, including during the military standoff with India in May.

“������Ƶ has always stood firmly by Pakistan both in times of war or peace, and the relations between Pakistan and ������Ƶ have withstood every test,” he said.

The statement added the Saudi ambassador also described Pakistan as a “brotherly and friendly country,” adding that Riyadh attached great importance to the relationship.

Pakistanis make up the second-largest expatriate community in ������Ƶ, with more than 2.5 million living and working there.

The Kingdom is the top source of remittances for the South Asian nation, whose struggling economy relies heavily on foreign inflows.

KARACHI: Police in Pakistan have arrested a television cameraman on charges of murdering his wife, who was found stabbed to death in their home in Karachi, officials said Saturday.

Qamar Abdi, a cameraman for a private news channel, was arrested after his wife’s family named him as the suspect in a First Information Report (FIR), the initial police complaint, according to Dr. Farrukh Raza, a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) for Karachi’s East District.

“The accused, who works as a news cameraman, has been arrested for the murder of his wife,” Raza told Arab News. “The woman was brutally murdered with knife cuts on her body.”

According to the FIR, filed by the victim’s brother, Asim Ahmed, the killing took place on Friday morning in the couple’s rented flat in the Soldier Bazaar neighborhood, where they were living with their only daughter for the last four years. Ahmed told police he received a call from Abdi around 12:55 PM on August 29, saying, “Kulsoom has been murdered, hurry up and come home.”

Upon arriving at the scene, Ahmed found a police vehicle and an ambulance, and his sister’s body lying on the floor, covered with a black cloth.

Ahmed’s statement to the police described a history of domestic violence. He alleged that for the past four years, Abdi had been physically abusive, used drugs, and was financially dependent on his wife, who sewed clothes to make ends meet.

He said that his sister had previously left Abdi for two months due to the abuse but returned after her husband came to their family home and convinced her to come back.

They had married 15 years ago in a “love marriage,” a South Asian term commonly used for marriages based on mutual choice rather than family arrangement.

SSP Raza confirmed that police had collected samples from the crime scene, including samples from the couple’s daughter, who is believed to have been drugged during the incident.

“The case is under investigation and the results of the samples are also awaited,” he added.

The murder of Kulsoom is just one in a series of brutal killings of women in Karachi, often occurring in the privacy of homes. Only days earlier, another woman was allegedly killed by her husband in Orangi Town, and in Qur’angi, a husband was arrested for allegedly slaughtering his wife with a knife.

Authorities suspect domestic disputes to be the primary cause of these deaths, which frequently occur in the presence of the couple’s children.

The recent killings have brought renewed attention to the pervasive issue of gender-based violence (GBV) in the country. A March report by the Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) stated that over 32,617 GBV cases were recorded in the first half of 2024 nationwide.

Despite the high number of incidents, activists say conviction rates remain low due to underreporting, patriarchal attitudes and a weak legal system.

Qurrat Mirza, a founding member of Aurat March Karachi, a women’s rights movement, condemned the latest killing, calling it part of a larger pattern.

“Another week another woman,” she said. “These are not isolated incidents. They are part of a horrifying pattern where patriarchy, silence and impunity feed domestic violence.”

“These tragedies reflect how deeply rooted patriarchal norms, lack of anger management and notions of control over women’s lives normalize violence within marriages,” he added.

Mirza stressed the need for a change in societal attitudes and called for urgent action.

“Women deserve safety, dignity and justice, not graves inside their homes,” she said.