KARACHI: Workshop discusses role of private security agencies
KARACHI, Aug 31: Sindh Home Secretary Brig Mukhtar Ahmed has said that both the police as a law enforcement agency and the private security agencies have different roles to play.
While the police are discharging specific responsibilities for crime control and law enforcement, the private security agencies are augmenting the efforts of law enforcers.
He was speaking as the chief guest at an inter-active workshop on “Private security’s contribution to nation-building,” organized by Security and Management Services, in a local hotel on Saturday.
Interior Minister Moin Uddin Hyder, who was to be chief guest on the occasion, could not make it because of his engagements in Islamabad.
Brig Mukhtar, however, laid emphasis on the training of employees of private security agencies and said an acceptable system would be worked out for this purpose under the guidance of the Interior Ministry.
He observed that the quality of service provided by a private security agency differed from company to company.
He asked the All Pakistan Security Agencies Association to concentrate on two points — the requirements of the government and verification of their employees.
The home secretary said the private security agencies recruiting employees must verify their antecedents before giving them a job to ensure that undesirable elements did not find a room in the security organization.
Speaking on the occasion, the Sindh police chief, Syed Kamal Shah, described the establishment of private security agencies a relatively recent phenomenon and said it had added a new dimension to the concept of combating crimes and maintaining security levels.
He dispelled the impression that security agencies were in any way villain to the police or they had come into existence at the expense or any failure of the police.
The fact is that security agencies had come into existence because of the concomitant growth in the socio-economic sector.
Pointing out that private security agencies could basically act as target hardeners, the IG said the need was for standardizing their procedures, training and operations.
“The most wanting aspect is, however, a much closer coordination with the police force without which they are likely to limit their activities as silent observers of much complicated scenario.”
Lt-Gen Farooq Lodhi, a former governor of Balochistan, mainly emphasised on enforcement of law viz- a-viz the role of police and other agencies.
Arshad Zuberi, deputy chief executive of the Business Recorder , said the law and order problem arose because not enough resources were allocated for the law enforcers.
He said while specialization missed in the police, it also missed in the field of journalism, where reporters lacked the understanding of the issues.
He said the media had to play a role as mirror of society but the law enforcers failed to use it as medium.
He said budget for the Sindh police had gone up manifold but the results were shoddy.
He said private security agencies would play a helping role for law enforcers, provided they were organized for this purpose.
The workshop was also addressed by Ghazi Salahuddin, a senior journalist, also spoke on occasion.
Later, talking to newsmen, the IG said that all security arrangements had been finalized in connection with the approaching Sept 11.
He said surveillance cameras would be installed at various important and sensitive places and installations in the city.
