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Security companies in Pakistan on rise but at risk - People's Daily Online January 17, 2010
As the demand for private guards in the terror-torn Pakistan especially in Islamabad is on the rise, many of the private security companies in the country are focusing more on making money than providing adequate services.
Clients in the capital city complain that the private security companies are ignoring the quality of their employees, adding that some companies are not well qualified and their employees not well trained while several companies even enter into illegal operation for profits.
A security manager of a private security company based in Islamabad, on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that some of the companies have training facilities for their employees but most of the companies don't concentrate on enhancing the security-related skills of its employees.
"Companies like ours always prefer to employ personnel of the armed forces and believe that they are already trained, but for non-armed man the companies have no training facilities. I think even the ex-army men need some training," he said.
Private security companies are supposed to train their guards or hire ex-servicemen, but in reality they are not following the serules, clients said.
Moreover, dozens of companies don't pay salaries to the guards on a periodic basis, while payment of some companies are too low to satisfy its employed guards who sometime perform duties for more than 10 hours a day.
A 48-year-old guard of a private company told Xinhua that he hasn't got his last month salary so far as they are paid, generally, after 54 days. He said that he is an ex-army man and a retired driver.
He said he had gone through a month-long training after he joined the previous company but in the current company he got no training.
Another guard, 50, who retired from Pakistani army said the company pays him a monthly salary of 6,000 Pakistani rupees (about71 U.S. dollars) while the company charges its clients much more.
"After retirement I joined a security company in Karachi then came to Rawalpindi. In the present company I don't know even about the status of any contract, neither they signed any contract with me," he said.
Without any leave policy and with a low pay, he said he had to quit.
However, an officer of a security company said the wages he pays his men are proportionate to what people are willing to pay to be protected as most are unwilling to pay too much.
Most of the guards are employed after retirement of the government service and a large number of them age above 50.
A guard, also a retired army man, said he is 50 plus and have to support his family and the majority of the guards have similar service background.
Low pay, long-hour duty and no training negatively influence the morale of the guards who fail to satisfy the clients.
"I am continuously paying private security companies and changing guards, but now I feel obliged to arrange personal employees instead of hiring from a company as it failed me," said a business man.
In view of the perceived insecurity, fear of unseen happening and street crimes, the demand for guards of the private security companies is going up since 2009.
The demand of the guards for houses, companies, NGOs, offices, shops and other businesses is continuously increasing roughly by 15 percent per month in the country, according to a recent survey. Total number of the guards is swelling rapidly.
A security manager said that the number of guards in the twin city of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has reached to tens of thousand.
Keeping the market demand in mind, some high-standard security companies have also raised their fees and altered their contracts, demanding more facilities for their guards and increasing the tenure of the contracts.
Some of the companies have increased the monthly salaries of their guards, consisting of former army jawans and civilians, to 15,000 rupees (about 179 dollars), while the salaries for former special services group commandos have been raised to 25,000 rupees (about 298 dollars) or more. But the majority of them are still paying low salaries with no proper facilities for their guards.
However, problems exist as a few companies have been involved in illegal operations. Recent crackdown against the unregistered companies in Pakistan is an evidence of it.
The capital police during a raid in I-10 sector of Islamabad on Jan. 5 arrested the director of a private security company and seized huge quantity of illegal weapons.
The director was arrested when he produced fake license during the checking process carried out by the police. The police also seized eight repeaters, two pistols, a 44-bore rifle and rounds from the company in the crackdown.
Meanwhile, there is an increase in street crimes in major cities and people believe that guards of these companies are involved in these crimes. A local resident in Islamabad said a few of the guards were involved in street crimes and sometimes police do inquire guards on duty when a crime is committed.
Police said the private security companies in Pakistan are operating under an administrative order issued by the Ministry of Interior in 1988 and the security companies are required to register themselves with the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) under the Companies Ordinance, 1984.
There are about 593 private security companies in the country, out of which 164 are registered in Islamabad that have several thousands guards. Given their huge numbers and growing importance, these security companies need to do more to meet the challenges in the country.
Source: Xinhua
As the demand for private guards in the terror-torn Pakistan especially in Islamabad is on the rise, many of the private security companies in the country are focusing more on making money than providing adequate services.
Clients in the capital city complain that the private security companies are ignoring the quality of their employees, adding that some companies are not well qualified and their employees not well trained while several companies even enter into illegal operation for profits.
A security manager of a private security company based in Islamabad, on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that some of the companies have training facilities for their employees but most of the companies don't concentrate on enhancing the security-related skills of its employees.
"Companies like ours always prefer to employ personnel of the armed forces and believe that they are already trained, but for non-armed man the companies have no training facilities. I think even the ex-army men need some training," he said.
Private security companies are supposed to train their guards or hire ex-servicemen, but in reality they are not following the serules, clients said.
Moreover, dozens of companies don't pay salaries to the guards on a periodic basis, while payment of some companies are too low to satisfy its employed guards who sometime perform duties for more than 10 hours a day.
A 48-year-old guard of a private company told Xinhua that he hasn't got his last month salary so far as they are paid, generally, after 54 days. He said that he is an ex-army man and a retired driver.
He said he had gone through a month-long training after he joined the previous company but in the current company he got no training.
Another guard, 50, who retired from Pakistani army said the company pays him a monthly salary of 6,000 Pakistani rupees (about71 U.S. dollars) while the company charges its clients much more.
"After retirement I joined a security company in Karachi then came to Rawalpindi. In the present company I don't know even about the status of any contract, neither they signed any contract with me," he said.
Without any leave policy and with a low pay, he said he had to quit.
However, an officer of a security company said the wages he pays his men are proportionate to what people are willing to pay to be protected as most are unwilling to pay too much.
Most of the guards are employed after retirement of the government service and a large number of them age above 50.
A guard, also a retired army man, said he is 50 plus and have to support his family and the majority of the guards have similar service background.
Low pay, long-hour duty and no training negatively influence the morale of the guards who fail to satisfy the clients.
"I am continuously paying private security companies and changing guards, but now I feel obliged to arrange personal employees instead of hiring from a company as it failed me," said a business man.
In view of the perceived insecurity, fear of unseen happening and street crimes, the demand for guards of the private security companies is going up since 2009.
The demand of the guards for houses, companies, NGOs, offices, shops and other businesses is continuously increasing roughly by 15 percent per month in the country, according to a recent survey. Total number of the guards is swelling rapidly.
A security manager said that the number of guards in the twin city of Islamabad and Rawalpindi has reached to tens of thousand.
Keeping the market demand in mind, some high-standard security companies have also raised their fees and altered their contracts, demanding more facilities for their guards and increasing the tenure of the contracts.
Some of the companies have increased the monthly salaries of their guards, consisting of former army jawans and civilians, to 15,000 rupees (about 179 dollars), while the salaries for former special services group commandos have been raised to 25,000 rupees (about 298 dollars) or more. But the majority of them are still paying low salaries with no proper facilities for their guards.
However, problems exist as a few companies have been involved in illegal operations. Recent crackdown against the unregistered companies in Pakistan is an evidence of it.
The capital police during a raid in I-10 sector of Islamabad on Jan. 5 arrested the director of a private security company and seized huge quantity of illegal weapons.
The director was arrested when he produced fake license during the checking process carried out by the police. The police also seized eight repeaters, two pistols, a 44-bore rifle and rounds from the company in the crackdown.
Meanwhile, there is an increase in street crimes in major cities and people believe that guards of these companies are involved in these crimes. A local resident in Islamabad said a few of the guards were involved in street crimes and sometimes police do inquire guards on duty when a crime is committed.
Police said the private security companies in Pakistan are operating under an administrative order issued by the Ministry of Interior in 1988 and the security companies are required to register themselves with the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) under the Companies Ordinance, 1984.
There are about 593 private security companies in the country, out of which 164 are registered in Islamabad that have several thousands guards. Given their huge numbers and growing importance, these security companies need to do more to meet the challenges in the country.
Source: Xinhua
