Decide what you are protecting against
Security needs differ a lot. A family house in G-11 may only need someone to manage the gate and visitors in the evening. A farmhouse in Chak Shahzad needs someone on the property day and night. A warehouse in I-9 needs guards who check vehicles and stock. Start by asking what would actually go wrong without a guard.
- Gate control and visitor checks
- Night watch and rounds of the property
- Protection of stock, vehicles or cash
- Presence and deterrence at a shop or office entrance
Armed guard or unarmed watchman?
Most homes do well with an alert, unarmed chowkidar who controls the gate and calls the owner before letting anyone in. Armed guards are common for banks, jewellers, factories and some high-profile homes, but a weapon brings its own responsibility.
| Unarmed watchman | Armed guard | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical use | Homes, small offices, apartment gates | Banks, factories, high-value sites |
| Key documents | CNIC, police character certificate | Plus a valid weapon licence and training record |
| Background | Any, with references | Often ex-forces |
| Your extra duty | Gate rules and a register | Rules for weapon storage and handover |
If you hire an armed guard, decide who owns the weapon, where it is stored off duty, and who checks the licence renewal date. Write it down.
Plan the shifts honestly
One person cannot stay alert for 24 hours. A guard who works days and is expected to watch at night will sleep at night, and nobody can blame him. Round-the-clock cover means two guards on 12-hour shifts, or three on eight-hour shifts, plus a relief arrangement for days off.
For a live-in watchman at a farmhouse, agree the hours he must be awake and alert, usually the evening and night, and the hours he can rest. Give him a proper room near the gate.
Background checks that matter
Ask for the CNIC and a police character certificate. Candidates can apply for the certificate at a Police Khidmat Markaz in Punjab or through Islamabad Police service centres. Ex-forces guards should show their discharge book.
Call previous employers. Ask about alertness at night, punctuality, how the guard handled strangers, and whether anything went missing on their watch. A guard who left a job without notice may do the same to you.
Register the guard with the local police and, in gated societies, with society security. Keep a copy of every document in a file.
Security company or direct hire?
Licensed private security companies supply guards on contract, with uniforms, replacements on leave days and supervision. They cost more per guard but take on management. Hiring directly costs less and gives you a guard who knows your family, but you handle leave, cover and discipline yourself.
For a single home, direct hire of a watchman is common. For offices, banks and factories, a licensed security company is often required by insurers or head office. Hire Staff Islamabad can introduce candidates for direct hire; ask a security company directly if you need a contract service.
Write down the gate rules
Guards fail most often because nobody told them what to do. Give a short list of rules on the first day, in Urdu, and keep a copy at the gate.
- Nobody enters without the owner's approval by phone
- Every visitor and vehicle goes in the register with time in and out
- Deliveries are received at the gate; delivery staff do not come inside
- No visitors for the guard on duty
- Lights on at sunset; rounds at fixed times at night
- Call the owner, then 15 (police), in an emergency
Give the guard a working torch, a phone with credit or a fixed allowance, and a list of numbers: yours, a family member's, the local police station and the society security office.
Pay and fair treatment
Our security guard salary guide shows typical monthly ranges for shift guards and live-in watchmen. Pay on time, give a weekly day off with a relief guard, and provide shade, a chair, water and access to a washroom at the gate. Guards who are treated with respect are more alert and stay longer.
Set up the guard post properly
A guard who is cold, wet or thirsty is not alert. Give the post shade and rain cover, a chair, a fan in summer and heating in winter, drinking water, a light for night duty and access to a washroom. A small table for the visitor register helps too.
- A working torch and spare batteries
- A charged phone, or a fixed monthly phone allowance
- The visitor register and a pen
- A printed list of emergency numbers
- A whistle or a simple alarm, if the property is large
Plan for days off and leave
Every guard needs a weekly day off and Eid leave. Plan cover in advance, either with a relief guard who knows the property, or by agreeing that a family member manages the gate on those days. A property that is unguarded every Sunday is easy for anyone watching to notice.
Working with your society's security
In DHA, Bahria Town and Askari, society security already controls the main gates. Your own guard covers your house. Make sure your guard knows the society security office number and how to raise an alert, and register the guard with the society so they are allowed in each day without delay.
The guard's first week
Walk the property with the new guard on the first day: every gate, wall, light switch and blind spot. Show where the water tank, the main electricity switch and the gas valve are. Introduce the family and regular visitors, such as the cook, the driver and the gardener, so the guard knows who comes and goes.
For the first few nights, check the register in the morning and ask how the night went. A short daily conversation builds the habits you want and shows the guard that the job is taken seriously.
Questions
Want help with the search?
Tell us the role, your area and the hours, and we will call you back.