KARACHI, Dec 24: Federal Education Minister and Chief Scout Commissioner Zobaida Jalal on Monday called for an effective coordination between boy scouts and girl guides associations for the promotion of scouting in the country.

She was speaking at the national executive committee meeting of the Pakistan Boys Scout Association here. The deputy chief scout commissioners, provincial commissioners, provincial secretaries from all the nine branches of the PBSA attended the meeting.

She said both associations, with a similar cause, must exchange information and programmes, besides having joint ventures in certain projects.

Ms Jalal, who is also the chief commissioner of girl guides association, underlined the need for the creation of a “combined council” for this purpose. The objective of scouting and girls guides is common, which is character building and service delivery.

She underlined the need for integrated and proactive efforts at district level to promote scouting in the country. She was of the view that the scouting should also be transformed into a new system of government to have better results.

Ms Jalal advised the leader trainers to pay extra care and attention to the training of young scouts and equip the training centres with modern training gears to keep pace with the future challenges.

“Scouting should be promoted in every educational institution, specially private schools in the country,” she said.

She also lauded the services of scouts during Haj in Saudi Arabia and said that 50 scout leaders would go to Saudi Arabia for providing services during the coming Haj.

The meeting discussed in detail a 15-item agenda. On top of the agenda was the 13th jamboree, scheduled from April 24 to 30 for 5,000 scouts from all over the country.

Earlier, PBSA Secretary Qazi Zahoorul Hasan briefed the national executive committee on the activities, programme and scouting in Pakistan.

Earlier, Ms Jalal planted a sapling in the premises of the Scout Training Centre of the PIA Boy Scouts Association.

She also gave away the chief commissioner awards and Quaid-i-Azam award to PIA scouts.—APP