Fear of extremism: Punjab to screen private guards
AIG special branch directs field staff to collect and verify complete record of privately-employed guards.
LAHORE:
The law enforcement agencies (LEAs) have decided to conduct thorough screening of private security companies and their guards across Punjab, The Express Tribune has leant.
The move is said to be prompted by revelations that many of the private security guards had either been court-martialled or absconders of the Pakistan Army. Others have been found to have been proclaimed and court absconders in different cases of heinous crimes. Still others belonged to banned militant outfits.
A circular has been sent out to all regional and district offices of Special Branch (SB) of the Punjab Police by its headquarters setting out a questionnaire for them to fill out, sources familiar with the matter said.
The SB headquarters through a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has directed field formations to gather complete details of all private security agencies and their guards working in their district’s jurisdiction. They must include names of private security companies, names of the guards employed, their pictures, photocopies of their CNICs, phone numbers, temporary and permanent addresses etc.
Reports say that a large number of guards of private security agencies have been deployed on sensitive points, including national and multinational companies, foreign missions, banks, and hotels across the province.
Because of the sensitive nature of their job, the private guards are to be subjected to a police scrutiny. The Additional inspector general of Special Branch has directed the field staff to collect and verify complete record of privately-employed guards to avoid any untoward incident, sources said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2011.
The law enforcement agencies (LEAs) have decided to conduct thorough screening of private security companies and their guards across Punjab, The Express Tribune has leant.
The move is said to be prompted by revelations that many of the private security guards had either been court-martialled or absconders of the Pakistan Army. Others have been found to have been proclaimed and court absconders in different cases of heinous crimes. Still others belonged to banned militant outfits.
A circular has been sent out to all regional and district offices of Special Branch (SB) of the Punjab Police by its headquarters setting out a questionnaire for them to fill out, sources familiar with the matter said.
The SB headquarters through a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has directed field formations to gather complete details of all private security agencies and their guards working in their district’s jurisdiction. They must include names of private security companies, names of the guards employed, their pictures, photocopies of their CNICs, phone numbers, temporary and permanent addresses etc.
Reports say that a large number of guards of private security agencies have been deployed on sensitive points, including national and multinational companies, foreign missions, banks, and hotels across the province.
Because of the sensitive nature of their job, the private guards are to be subjected to a police scrutiny. The Additional inspector general of Special Branch has directed the field staff to collect and verify complete record of privately-employed guards to avoid any untoward incident, sources said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2011.