By Fiza Zahid
ISLAMABAD, Jun 1 (APP):: As summer’s intensity scorches cities across Pakistan, thousands of private security guards remain stationed under the open sky, watching, waiting, and enduring.
Clad in suffocating polyester uniforms and earning meager wages, these men stand sentinel at the gates of homes, offices, and commercial buildings, silently fighting a battle for survival.
To capture the reality faced by these workers, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) gathered comments from across the country to highlight their daily struggles and unmet needs.
Muhammad Yaqoob, a security guard at a private bank in Gulberg Greens, Islamabad, originally from Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, told APP that there were no days off in his line of duty, not even on Eid.
“While others celebrate with their families, we stay on duty because security is a top priority during holidays,” he said. Calling the sacrifice deeply personal, he added, “It’s not easy to hear laughter from afar while standing guard, but we do it so others can celebrate in peace.”
Another guard Naeem, a middle-aged man deputed at Golf Avenue Society in Lahore, talking to APP highlighting the issue of fabric he is forced to wear in scorching heat said, “This polyester fabric burns the skin, we don’t choose these uniforms, they’re handed out. If someone can afford it, they buy a better version. Otherwise, we wear what we get.”
Most uniforms are made of cheap polyester, a synthetic material that traps heat rather than allowing ventilation.
Yet, in the name of uniformity and cost-cutting, many employers avoid switching to cotton despite the health risks and companies’ policy to follow their instructions and wear customized outfit.
Muhammad Rizwan, stationed outside a gated housing society in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Johar, who starts his day before sunrise said, “Our working hours are 12 hours long, and there isn’t much shade where we are. Occasionally, we end up standing under a tree. There’s no place for us to sit or even stand in shade.
We have to stay alert even when there’s nowhere to take cover during extreme weather. With no break room or even a water cooler nearby.” Rizwan relies on a small thermos and a plastic stool he brings from home.
Many guards say their managers most of the time allow time off for severe family emergencies, but issues like delayed wages and low pay persist.
Due to limited staff, some work double shifts. Despite these challenges, guards rarely complain and simply ask for cotton uniforms, daily wages, rest areas, and a day off. They carry out their duties quietly and with dignity.
Despite the harshness of their routines, most guards rarely protest. The fear of losing their jobs looms large, and dignity is held tightly.
Many are fathers, husbands, or sole breadwinners, working far from their home villages. “My children live in Peshawar with their grandmother,” shared Saleem, a guard serving for a private school in Quetta’. “I see them twice a year. They think I work in a big city office.”
Prolonged exposure to heat and long hours of standing can cause health issues like headaches, dehydration, and heatstroke, warned Dr. Aqeel Abbas, a physician who runs a hospital in Ali Pur Farash. He urged employers to provide basic facilities such as shade, water, and rest breaks for security guards.
Dr. Zainab, a well-known skin specialist in the federal capital, stated, “Polyester traps heat and prevents the skin from breathing, leading to excessive sweating, irritation, and fungal infections. In hot climates, cotton is a much safer and healthier choice.”
In a country grappling with rising temperatures and the relentless pace of urban life, perhaps it’s time to truly see the silent figures who guard our homes and properties, not just with watchful eyes, but with a quiet strength and resilience that too often go unrecognized.