SWABI: The demand for retired army personnel has been increased in the district as schools and other offices are hiring them for strengthening security in the wake of militant attack on Army Public School in Peshawar on Dec 16, 2014.

The information collected from different sources revealed that various institutions and organisations were contacting former personnel of army to hire them as security guards.

Mardan DIG Saeed Khan Wazir and Commissioner Khalid Hussain also called for enhancing security when they visited University of Swabi and several colleges in the district the other day.

“Our newly hired six retired army personnel are mainly for security duty in our organisation. The circumstances have compelled us to appoint them immediately,” said an official of a private company.

####Schools and other institutions prefer to hire retired army men

The officials of another organisation said that they had appointed 10 retired army men but only three of them joined the duty and the other did not turn up because they were demanding more attractive salary and perks. “We have conducted another interview for hiring former army personnel,” they said.

Rajit Khan, a retired army man, told Dawn that he was contacted by four different organisations and offered attractive salary and other benefits. “My colleagues say that they have also been contacted by various organisations,” he said.

The principal of a leading private college said that they had given job to four retired army men in their college to improve security. Similar steps had been taken by other private colleges, he said.

Sources in different organisations said that it was for the first time that the managements of a number of companies and organisations hired retired personnel of armed forces in such a large number.

“We have offered Rs15,000 per month salary along with other facilities but the former army personnel refused and demanded Rs20,000 per month,” said another official, who was assigned the task to appoint security guards at the office.

He said that in the past they would pay Rs10,000 per month to a security guard.

However, now the environment has changed and all the organisations and institutions prefer to appoint retired armed forces personnel as security guards.

A renowned businessman, who hired retired army men for his security of his business outlet, told Dawn that the benefit of hiring retired army men was that they were already prepared to meet any security challenge.

“You just order them and they would follow it with complete concentration and devotion because they know the basic principles of security,” he said.

If the companies employ non-professional personnel, they will need to impart them rigorous training to turn them into professional security guards.

The officials said that they wanted to avoid complication. “In other words, we haven’t time to train the hired people,” they said.

The move would help police in many ways, as the growing security challenges and consistent security provision efforts in the district required a larger force than the existing one, said another official.

In addition, hiring of the retired army personnel would also help ease pressure on the overburdened security personnel of various organisations, he added.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2015

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