RAMPANT lawlessness has fuelled the demand for private security across Pakistan, as the police have been unable to provide protection to the people. It is indeed alarming that in Karachi, the number of private security guards is double that of police officers. According to a report in this paper, while there are just under 27,000 police officers in the megacity, the number of private security personnel is nearly 55,000. Take away the number of police personnel assigned to the security detail of individuals and investigation purposes, and the number of officers on the street plummets even further. As per the report, there is one policeman for over 1,500 citizens in Karachi. Of course, given the rise in crime and lawlessness individuals and institutions are investing in private security, signalling a lack of trust in the police. In some cases, the police themselves have urged citizens to hire private security. But while there is at least some sort of government oversight of private security firms, there is absolutely no watch over the private guards some tribal chiefs, feudals and other individuals maintain for their personal ‘security’. It is a common sight in Karachi to see small militias of personal guards in civilian dress, guns ready, piled in the back of a 4x4 to protect their masters, or milling about menacingly outside residences. In fact, the culture of private security and armed guards has also caught on in Lahore and Islamabad. But the question is: do these private guards and armies reduce insecurity, or do they add to it?

In this regard, the Rangers in Karachi recently announced they would be launching a ‘crackdown’ against guards travelling in ‘double-cabin vehicles’. We believe such a short-term move will be of little significance. Two things are needed to address the situation: firstly, the state cannot outsource the security of citizens. It is the police’s job to safeguard the lives and property of people. Unless more personnel are inducted into the force and trained properly, the dependence on private security will continue. Secondly, there needs to be a stricter check on the growth of personal militias. Gun-toting men roaming around on city streets should have no place in civilised society.

Published in Dawn, May 31st, 2014