Citizens of Islamabad were left in shock and dismay on Tuesday after they received a pamphlet, from the capital police, telling them to hire private security guards to protect their homes against burglars during the upcoming Eidul Azha holidays.“As the majority of the residents leave the capital to celebrate Eid in their hometowns, their unattended homes become vulnerable to burglary,” the capital police said in a pamphlet issued for public awareness, informing the citizens of some tips about safety of their households.However, many residents expressed surprise at the suggestion to hire private security to look after their property. “Make arrangement for street guard through your mohalla committee. Many companies provide security guards on daily-wage basis. Some security firms also install home security gadgets like alarms, cameras etc,” the pamphlet read.The law enforcers also told citizens to ensure interior and exterior of their houses are well lit in their absence, and if possible leave behind a servant to look after the home. “Do not leave valuables such as jewellery and cash at home. Put them in a locker or in somebody’s custody… and lock the main gate from inside rather than from the outside,” the pamphlet read.People were also told to ask their hawkers not to deliver the newspaper in their absence “since newspapers lying outside doors give away your absence”.During the last Eid holidays, the police had directed the residents to inform their respective police stations if they were planning to leave their homes unattended during the vacations. However, this has been excluded from the pamphlets this time around.While many residents welcomed the law enforcers’ effort to raise awareness, some criticised and even laughed at the suggestion about hiring private security guards.A police official said while they make all possible arrangements for security of unattended houses, it was not possible for them to patrol every street. “Community’s cooperation with police is vital to maintain law and order, particularly on an occasion like Eid when thousands of families leave capital for their hometowns,” he added.