n a stark testament to the recklessness that pervades some private security companies, the firing pins are removed from the guards’ shotguns to prevent an accidental fire.

“We were made to strap the gun and hold it angularly from the chest to show readiness to take a shot but it was never meant to be anything beyond a posture,” a security guard told The News on Sunday on condition of anonymity as a disclosure of identity would put him at odds with his managers.

Such posturing and an aggressive tone are considered essentials for security related jobs. In this case, it also highlights the security company’s lack of confidence in the trainIng and shows the reality of the training protocols. The atrocious level of service also puts clients’ security at risk.

“We were directed to scare the people by shouting ‘hands in the air.’ We were taken to a shooting range only once. That happened about two years ago. We fired a few shots and that was all. There was no regular training to handle the firearms we were to carry,” he said.

The private security industry in Karachi is a mixed bag. Only a few companies excel in their services. Most of the others struggle to break par. Top performers in the industry boast agile guards who generally work with foreign consulates, big business and high-pay clients and adopt proactive approaches to security and regular patrols.

What sets these top performers apart is the way they can use their weapons. They have well-trained personnel who undergo regular drills. Some companies have their own elaborate training protocols. Others have been trained by armed forces and police personnel.

Top training facilities provide basic security training, firearm handling and tactical shooting, first aid and emergency response, surveillance and access control and biometrics and executive protection.

The middle and senior management of such companies comprises retired military personnel, law enforcement officials, security experts and, in some cases, foreign trainers.

On April 20, a delegation of Japanese businessmen was attacked on their way to SITE, near Mansehra Colony, Landhi. There was a suicide blast followed by intense firing. However, the harm was minimised by the trained security personnel accompanying them. One of the guards escorting the businessmen shot and killed one of the attackers. Tragically, he died later from injuries suffered in the exchange of fire.

Underperformers in the security industry often neglect training. Their guards are ill-equipped as a result to handle unusual situations. The lack of regular training also results in lax accountability.

Sometime back, a prominent private television anchor was shot near the Karachi airport. He was accompanied by an armed guard who sought cover during the attack. This guard was later asked about his lack of response. He told the investigators that the last time he had used a firearm was when he was in the army, several years ago.

It was against this backdrop that, recently, IG Ghulam Nabi Memon, the Sindh Police chief, highlighted the need to establish a training school for the private security guards.

The development followed a meeting between the IGP and with Maj Munir Ahmed (retired), chairman of the All Pakistan Security Agencies who sought quality training for private guards in collaboration with the Sindh government and the police, and “regulation of security services under the law.”

Maj Munir said, “Since we do not have the capacity to train personnel on our own, we discussed the proposal to establish training centres for private security firms. This is what several countries in our region are doing.”

“Some of our members are reluctant to pay for the training in the absence of a legal requirement and any guarantee that the trained guards will continue to work for them,” he said.

Munir said “…we have proposed holistic legal provisions to cover the membership of All Pakistan Security Agencies. This will allow only verified members to get government licences. It will make it easier for us to identify those violating the disciplinary and professional terms of the APSA.”

Systemic failures including criminal behaviour, poor working conditions and inadequate training plague the private security industry. There have been reports of private security guards’ involvement in robberies and kidnappings in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar.

In Karachi, the involvement of some employees of private security companies in criminal activities such as robberies, intimidation and harassment is a damning indictment of the industry’s systemic failures. A lack of rigorous background checks and screening has enabled unscrupulous individuals to infiltrate these companies.

“We have 300 members countrywide. We have rigorous disciplinary terms. We issue show cause notices and withdraw the membership of errant companies. In most cases such indulgence in crime is an individual act,” says the APSA chairman.

Recently the Sindh Home Department revoked the licences of 31 security companies. Currently, 263 companies have valid licences.

According to experts, security companies adhere to ISO 9001 (quality management) and ISO 18788 (private security operations) standards.

Lack of registration and licensing of some of these companies allows them to operate with impunity. Their employees often use unlicensed weapons and pose a risk to public safety. “The practice of using a single licence to cover several firearms is not uncommon,” a Sindh Police official says.

It is important for the prospective clients to make an informed decision before selecting an agency. The choice must be limited to licensed and registered agencies.

The competing agencies should be evaluated on the basis of training and expertise, technology and equipment, financial stability and transparency, compliance with industry standards, regulations and customer satisfaction.

Munir says the “APSA website carries details of errant individuals with FIRs against them that should be checked before hiring an individual for a security job.”

The Home Department has an elaborate online verification system to scan a prospective candidate against their criminal record. Munir says they can access computerised crime records of Sindh, the Punjab and Balochistan. “Other than Sindh, the provinces do not have such elaborate mechanisms to check the working of private security companies,” he adds.

These days it has become fashionable for the security guards to wear a ‘ballistic nylon’ over their shirts that provides no protection against a firearm. Kevlar-type fabric or the ballistic nylon is not sufficient to stop a bullet from causing injury. It does absorb and dissipate some of the impact energy has to be paired with ceramic plates, metal sheets or synthetic fibres to provide primary ballistic protection. Maj Munir says that he has not come across this but agrees that clothing material does not offer sufficient protection.

Insurance, liability and welfare are two critical factors that can make or break the industry’s ability to retain skilled and dedicated security guards. Neglecting welfare will lead to high turnover and instability.

The contributor works for The News International