License and sensibility
The Punjab Private Security Companies (Regulation and Control)
Ordinance, 2003 -- a good starting point
1 No Private Security Company shall possess Armored Personnel Carriers.

We live in an era when the state is unable to guarantee security of individual citizens and institutions. Private security it seems is our ready answer. And hence about time we looked at the private security sector in order to ensure it provides security in the best possible manner, without violating human rights, rule of law and the state's right to control the use of force.

If Weber's definition of state as an entity that has the monopoly over the use of force, or violence to be precise,  still holds, and it does hold generally, then private security must also draw its legitimacy from the state. While the taxpayer can keep harping on the need for the state to provide security, or else such a state has no right to exist she might hasten to add, the fact remains that the modern day security concerns are so complex that state alone cannot address them.

But nor can the state absolve itself of all responsibility. It must ensure an effective regulation of the entire sector; if it can't provide actual security, it needs to ensure transparency and accountability through proper legislation.

This Special Report is only about the situation on ground. Where are these security guards coming from? How well-trained are they? Where are they getting the weapons from? Are these licensed weapons? Who is issuing the licenses and on what grounds? And finally who is making money out of these security steps?

These are obvious questions, no doubt, but through these obvious questions we want to raise one central question -- that you can't let a whole sector to function and flourish without any checks. Without these checks, this sector can weaken the state's monopoly over the use of force; the untrained staff in command of weapons can use force illegitimately; private security companies may "serve as fronts for organised crime"; and most importantly, without this monitoring and regulation, there is nothing to stop the whole sector from acting unprofessionally.

Most of the steps we suggest here have to be taken by the state or the government of the day. There are things though that the private security sector must do internally, as self-regulation. The government must seek legislation regarding the licensing system and the services they are allowed to provide; there has to be a criteria for license; there must be "thorough background checks" of the owners as well as the employees; licences ought to be for limited duration in order to ensure better monitoring; there should be legislation for minimal use of force; and distinction must be maintained between public and private security providers.

Theoretically speaking, direct relations between political parties and private security companies are to be prohibited. In our context, the very obvious relations between military personnel and private security companies must be brought under the checks hinted above.

This is a new security paradigm and we have to develop new parametres to ensure that private security draws its legitimacy from the state.

The government has regularised companies but there are no rules and regulations to look after the interests of private security guards

 By Aoun Sahi

Resident of a far-flung village of Bahawalpur district, Muhammad Nisar, 35 and a father of four, has been working as a private security guard at a Lahore based company for the past three years. Currently, he is appointed at a bank on the Mall. Despite earning a meagre salary -- Rs 6,000 a month -- for a 12-hour-six-day-a-week job, he comes across as a very dedicated worker. "I can sacrifice my life in the line of duty," he announces.

Nisar does not seem to know of the modern tools of security arrangements and is, ironically, not even an expert at handling the gun he is armed with. "I must've fired only five rounds in my life so far, and that too was seven years back when I was in my village," he tells TNS. "When I joined the company in 2006, the only thing that the management asked me was if I knew how to operate a gun. Of course, I replied in the affirmative, also because I was in dire need of a job at that time.

"Frankly speaking, I do not know how to engage the attacker. There is no protection for us under the law. We have to face the trial even if we attack somebody in self-defense."

Nisar says he has been hired without any formal contract and is not entitled to take a single leave in a month. "Even one emergency leave without prior notice can result in our dismissal from the service. Besides, we have no medical facility and no retirement benefits. The only cover we are given is life insurance worth Rs 200,000. As if that is not enough, we have no job security; we can be hired and fired anytime!"

Nisar reveals that his job does not include watching over the bank alone. "I've to also do other menial chores such as bring tea for the officers and sweep the floors."

Nisar is not the only one among 35,000-plus private security guards working in Lahore. The working conditions of an overwhelming majority are the same.

In contrast with many other businesses which have been facing huge losses due to the current terror threat, the business of private security companies is flourishing. The demand is so high that the owners of the private security agencies have had to turn down requests. Tayyab Mir, chief executive of Squad International Security Agency, Lahore, with 1,000 employees, is struggling to meet the growing demand. "I still haven't enough capacity to cater to the security needs of all the people."

According to him, private security guards are the third largest force in Pakistan after the Army and the Police. "They have already outnumbered the police in big cities like Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad."

Mir says that four years ago most of the private security guards in Lahore came from NWFP, FATA or Balochistan because of their acquaintance with arms: "But the trend has changed. Now we prefer local guys because it is easier to get their documents verified from the concerned departments.

"Presently, more than 90 percent of my employees belong to Punjab. The Home department also gives us guidelines in this respect."

Mir says that only a few security guards are trained to handle weapons and tricky situations. "The government has allowed private security companies to train their guards at the elite police training centre in Lahore for Rs 4,500 a fortnight. But only a few companies have availed the opportunity because there is no surety that the guards after getting their training will work for the same company."

He admits that guards cannot fire shots while they are on duty because of certain legal constraints. "In most cases, the license for a weapon is not registered in their name. Hence they are retainers of the license. A retainer can carry a weapon but he is not allowed to fire a shot. The guards are provided with very poor accommodation. Besides, they are also used for other jobs."

Mir says the government has regularised companies but there are no rules and regulations to look after the interests of the security guards.

Lahore police chief Pervez Rathore says the security guards play a very important part in checking crimes. "Their role, like that of the police, has also changed in the prevailing circumstances and that is why they require an extraordinary training. But, at present, most of them are not properly trained. The police has offered them training but most of the owners of security firms are reluctant to take the offer."

According to him, the purpose of training is to make the security agencies combat-ready and to enable them to engage terrorists before the arrival of the police and other law enforcement agencies.

An official of Punjab Home department tells TNS on condition of anonymity that the government has decided to remove loopholes in the workings of security agencies. He admits that there is also no proper system of hiring in the security companies. "There are reports that security agencies are recruiting aged and untrained guards who cannot come up to the expectations of their clients in case of an emergency situation. There are also reports of substandard weapons. The background of the security guards is not properly investigated before hiring. We are planning to streamline the security guards and agencies."

Malik Tahir Sarfraz, Joint Secretary, Security Wing, Ministry of Interior, tells TNS that the federal ministry is going to introduce a new policy regarding private security companies and security guards in the wake of the prevailing law and order situation in the country. "I cannot disclose them at this point of time. But one thing I can assure is that we have a strong scrutiny system for the security agencies. We get approval from five different agencies before issuing them licenses. But to monitor the security guards is the duty of the companies themselves. Majority of their workers are ex-servicemen and there should be no difficulty in verifying information about them. I don't know about the poor working conditions or other issues of security guards, so I cannot comment."

Figures from the All Pakistan Security Agencies Association (APSAA) show that there are around 300,000 private security guards working in Pakistan through more than 600 security firms. On the other hand, the total strength of the police force in Pakistan is 385,000. Punjab has 170,000; Sindh, 99,000; while there are around 80,000 private security guards in Karachi alone.

"Only 30 percent of these guards are ex-servicemen, the rest are civilians," says Major (retd) Munir Ahmed, Chairman, APSAA.

"The ratio of early retirement from army has gone down because of improvement in its internal system, so it has become difficult to find ex-servicemen."

He admits that most security guards are ill-trained and poorly paid. "We have only one small training school for security guards in Sindh where we offer one-week training to guards. They are acquainted with the weapons. They also get to fire 2-7 rounds during the training."

According to him, in the recent past, the police has found evidences that many security guards belonging to a specific ethnic group are involved in bank robberies and they also have links with the terrorists on some level. "We have changed our policy. Now we hire only those who will be able to furnish a local guarantor."

He admits that anti-labour law practices are quite common in the business of private security guards.

Senator Talha Mahmood, Chairman, Standing Committee on Interior of Senate, tells TNS that the Interior Ministry is working drastically on the standard operating procedure (SOP) for security agencies. "A committee has already been formed in the Interior Ministry to streamline the security agencies. We are also working on improving the working conditions and training of the security guards. A minimum wage will also be fixed for the security guards."

He admits that the process of verification of security guards is currently very lengthy. "It can take up to four months to verify the documents provided by the private security guard. We are also in contact with police on this issue and planning to reduce the duration to one week.

"Besides, it has come to our notice that some security agencies have been asking the guards to furnish their own licensed arms, which is illegal. It is the duty of the companies to provide arms to their guards and ensure that the latter are not being exploited by the clients," he says.

The buyer's individual need is the basic criterion for deciding what to install and how to operate it

 By Shahzada Irfan Ahmed

The whole country, especially the big cities, is making arrangements on a war footing to secure themselves against the menace of terrorism. The situation is so grave that no place seems safe from the wrath of terrorists who have threatened to target schools, government buildings and even schools.

This has led to a phenomenal increase in the demand of security apparatus, ranging from CCTV cameras and metal detectors to walk-through gates, road blockers and electronic barriers. The strict government orders to private schools to make foolproof security arrangements at their facilities has led to a surge in the demand of these products.

As almost all these products are imported from countries like China, Taiwan and Korea, the demand cannot be met immediately. What has happened is that the prices of these products have multiplied and tend to remain the same till new supplies arrive.

Qasim Ali, a shop-owner at Hall Road, tells TNS that the basic Chinese CCTV camera that would cost Rs 2,300 per piece is being sold for around Rs 6,000.

He says the common practice is that dealers pool money and jointly import containers of running items like cameras and metal detectors and split the goods according to their share.

He says walk-through gates cost between Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh depending on quality. The European brands are much more expensive but there are people who don't care about money when it comes to security against terror threats.

The metal detectors of Chinese make were available for Rs 1,300 per piece a couple of months ago but now they are being sold for around Rs 4,000 each. There are detectors that vibrate instead of producing a shrill sound, and they cost even more -- around Rs 6,000 per piece.

In addition to these products, concrete barriers, sand bags and used tyres are also in a great demand as they are being used to build bunkers, obstructions and pickets.

Haider Azeem, GM Sales and a system analyst at Astaa Tehnologies, a security and surveillance solution provider, tells TNS that most of the people are fulfilling a formality by buying and installing low-cost, low-quality products.

He says every premise and situation requires a different solution but hardly anybody cares. The buyer's individual need is the basic criterion for deciding what to install and how to operate it.

Giving the example of CCTV cameras, Azeem says some customers need them for surveillance in real-time, whereas there are others who want to make recordings for retrievals at later stages.

Similarly, there are cameras for overview as well as for capturing minute details of the images captured.

Haider says most of the Chinese cameras available in the market are based on analogue technology which is in no way comparable to the latest IP-CCTV technology. The latter are intelligent and backed by custom-made softwares. They can automatically detect abnormal activity or trend and alert the concerned personnel about that.

The same holds true for other products, he says, adding that the European brands are the best and their costs are, therefore, high. Haider says economic solutions can be worked out without compromising on quality but the general public is not quite aware of this fact. They find cheap and ineffective products in the market and are least concerned about the usability of these products.

The demand for private security, which was earlier the privilege of private offices, plazas and malls, now comes from private residents, schools, mosques and other places also

 By Waqar Gillani

Increasing security threats to various governmental and non governmental institutions and organisations across the country have given a significant boost to the demand of private security guards.

The demand, which was earlier the privilege of private offices, plazas and malls, is now also raised by private residents, schools, mosques and other places. The situation has reached the level of exploitation where untrained, common people are being recruited by the security agencies to meet the increasing demand.

According to Major (retd) Munir Ahmed, Chairman, All Pakistan Private Agencies Association (APPSAA), the demand for private security guards has gone up by 30 percent across the country, in the wake of the recent wave of terrorism. "We are doing our best, but we can't do much when our clients ask for armed persons -- whether or not they are trained guards. Perhaps they just want to show off," he tells TNS.

"However, we do not provide any guards without giving them some training. At least, they are taught how to operate a gun and open fire," he insists.

According to the data gathered from the four provinces as well as the federal territory, there are as many as 300,000 security guards working via private security agencies at the moment. On the other hand, there are at least 700 private security agencies working in four provinces and Islamabad. Some of them are not members of the APPSAA. The figures available with the APPSAA shows there are 300 private security agencies in Punjab, 238 in Sindh, 70 in Islamabad, 50 in NWFP, and 30 in Balochistan. These agencies or their branches are registered with the Interior Ministry and Home Departments concerned.

The demand has especially increased after the bomb blast incident that took place in Islamic University, Islamabad, last month. "The demand is relatively high in Islamabad and Lahore as compared to Karachi and other cities," he adds.

"Due to the shortage of ex-servicemen that include retired soldiers from different security forces and also former police constables, head constables, a significant number of civilians is being recruited. The ratio of civilians is now also most 65 percent (in the security agencies)."

Additionally, there is a demand for retired soldiers from the Special Services Group (SSG) but this is negligible because of the availability and affordability of former soldiers. The minimum salary of a private security guard, hired from the company, is Rs 6,000 and maximum Rs 25,000 per month; the SSG retired soldiers being the highest paid. Principally, the security companies deduct their expenses/profit from the total "agreed upon" salary with the client and give half of it to the guard.

Instead of relying on the weapons owned by the guards, the security firms can maintain their own inventories and provide weapons to the employees who qualify to have them

Private security agencies and entities like private schools have asked the government for leniency in the issuance of arms licenses for them. The current system is very complex and time-consuming, they believe.

There are multiple authorities that issue arms licenses in different conditions and for different purposes. Authorities such as the DCOs in the district governments and officials in provincial home departments issue licenses for non-prohibited weapons to be carried within the jurisdictional limits of a particular province. It's the federal interior ministry that can issue arms licenses that can be carried by the holder all over the country.

The most difficult task in this respect is to get a license issued to possess and carry prohibited bore and automatic weapons. It's the prerogative of the prime minister's office to issue such licenses.

In the wake of the ever-increasing terrorist attacks in the country, the authorities have decided to issue a large number of arms licenses to security guards and owners of buildings and facilities facing threats.

According to a news report, the Sindh government has pressed the federal government to review its arms control policy and issue licenses of prohibited bore automatic weapons to private security agencies. Currently, the private security guards are only allowed to carry non-prohibited bore weapons like 12-bore single fire shotguns.

This makes them highly vulnerable in case of a terrorist attack, dacoity or an armed assault by the enemies of the person they are guarding. Everyone knows how well equipped the terrorists and criminals are nowadays and believes it's unfair to make ill-equipped security guards face the streams of bullets sprayed by automatic weapons.

In a nutshell, the government authorities are mulling over plans to issue arms licenses in bulk to private school owners and private security firms. Instead of relying on the weapons owned by the guards, the security firms can maintain their own inventories and provide weapons to the employees who qualify to have them.

-- Shahzada Irfan Ahmed

The Punjab Private Security Companies (Regulation and Control)

Ordinance, 2003 -- a good starting point

1 No Private Security Company shall possess Armored Personnel Carriers.

2 No Private Security Company shall possess sophisticated automatic weapons.

3 The licensee shall maintain cote for safe custody of the weapons and be responsible for its security at permitted places having following arrangements:

(a) racks for placing arms and ammunition

(b) register for the maintenance of record of arms and ammunition

(c) maintenance of cleanliness of weapons; and

(d) double locks for security

4 The licensee shall not possess any arms or weapons beyond the permitted quantity and without a valid license under the Arms Ordinance 1965 (XX of 1965).

5 The licensee shall maintain the record of the number of authorised and actually possessed or maintained weapons, and issuance and receipt of the arms or weapons to the security guards.

6 The Licensing Authority, the District Coordination Officer and the District Police Officer of the concerned District or an officer authorized by the Licensing Authority not below the rank of an officer of BPS-17 may inspect the premises of the Company and the arrangements made for the safe custody and use of arms and ammunition, at any time, without prior notice.

7 The licensee shall submit the required information pertaining to possession or retainer ship of arms and ammunition issued to him, to the District Coordination Officer or the District Police Officer concerned or Arms Licensing Officer in such form as may be directed by order in writing from time to time.

8 If a license is revoked, the arms and ammunition shall be deposited in the nearest Police Station or in the Police Lines immediately under proper receipt.

9 Arms licenses issued for Punjab shall be valid within the Province of Punjab only.

10 Every weapon shall be licensed in the name of the Security Company and no guard shall be allowed to carry the weapon licensed in his name while on duty.

11 A register shall be maintained at the place of duty indicating the handing over and taking over of the weapon when a new guard starts duty at the same place. This register shall be the property of the Security Company to be issued by the officer not less than the rank of Security Manager of the Company. The register shall be stamped and authenticated by the Company and the pages shall be numbered.

12 An attested copy of the license of the arms and the authority letter to possess the arms by a particular employee of the Company shall accompany the arms, unless it is in the Cote of the Company or in deposit with the Police.

13 In case of imposition of section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V of 1898) on carrying or displaying weapons, the security guards of Private Security Companies shall be permitted to carry the weapons/arms after getting a No Objection Certificate from the District Nazim concerned for two days or from Home Department for more than two days, as the case may be.

14 The guards for escort duty shall be provided by the Private Security Company under intimation to the concerned District Police Officer. If such duty is not allowed by the District Police Officer, the guards shall be

withdrawn.