Karachi:
Pakistan's deteriorating law and order has led to a boom in the private security industry in the country. Companies are investing millions of dollars to train and update their security operations.
An estimated 30,000 private security guards have found employment with 400 private security agencies that have sprung up in Pakistan in recent years. These guards are paid about ten thousand Pakistani rupees a month... well above the minimum wage of six thousand.
Specialist security guards and bodyguards make around 25 thousand rupees.
Training includes special focus on the deadliest of enemies, the suicide bomber. Iqbal Mahmood, the trainer at Security 2000 explains how to look for one. "If someone is draped in white dress, particularly resembling a white shroud is a sign that the person has come ready to die. This is usually the first sign, secondly when the body looks a bit out of proportions; particularly the chest is raised higher than a normal human being is another give away sign that this person might be a suicide bomber," says Mahmood.
The security industry in Pakistan is worth around 60 million dollars a year. Visit any luxury hotel in Pakistan and you'll see where the money is being spent.
Zahid Shah, Security Manager at Pearl Continental Hotel says, "We have tried to maintain and standardise our security arrangements by beefing up this location with various kinds of systems, there can be hydraulic blockers, there are electronic barriers, there are sniffer dogs, besides of course the manual arrangements which is comprising of the security guards and the supervisors that we have."
An estimated 30,000 private security guards have found employment with 400 private security agencies that have sprung up in Pakistan in recent years. These guards are paid about ten thousand Pakistani rupees a month... well above the minimum wage of six thousand.
Specialist security guards and bodyguards make around 25 thousand rupees.
Training includes special focus on the deadliest of enemies, the suicide bomber. Iqbal Mahmood, the trainer at Security 2000 explains how to look for one. "If someone is draped in white dress, particularly resembling a white shroud is a sign that the person has come ready to die. This is usually the first sign, secondly when the body looks a bit out of proportions; particularly the chest is raised higher than a normal human being is another give away sign that this person might be a suicide bomber," says Mahmood.
The security industry in Pakistan is worth around 60 million dollars a year. Visit any luxury hotel in Pakistan and you'll see where the money is being spent.
Zahid Shah, Security Manager at Pearl Continental Hotel says, "We have tried to maintain and standardise our security arrangements by beefing up this location with various kinds of systems, there can be hydraulic blockers, there are electronic barriers, there are sniffer dogs, besides of course the manual arrangements which is comprising of the security guards and the supervisors that we have."
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