ISLAMABAD, March 28: Minister of State for Education Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli said on Wednesday that the government was taking concrete steps to promote scouting for healthy personality development of the youth in Pakistan.

Ms Tahirkheli was addressing the concluding ceremony of the two-day scouts rally held in connection with the Pakistan Day celebrations under the auspices of the Federal Directorate of Education.

She said the government was investing more resources to prepare the youth for the national development through promoting healthy activities among them and the introduction of scouting cells in countrywide educational institutions was a step forward in this regard.

All examination boards of the country had been conveyed to divert one per cent of its income for the promotion of scouting and the step would help to promote the healthy activity, she said.

The minister asked the scouts to come forward and spread the message of scouting - love, peace and harmony - among the rest of the population for a strong Pakistan.

Referring to the reforms in the education sector, she said the government was committed to doing away with nepotism in this sector and ensuring merit to steer the country towards development and prosperity.

On the occasion, she awarded shields to the position-holders of various scout activities. Scouts from different educational institutions of the Islamabad Capital Territory staged various scouting demonstrations and received appreciations from the guests.

BOY SCOUTS CAMP: The 10th Islamic training camp for scouts, organized by the International Islamic University (IIU) in collaboration with Pakistan Boy Scouts Association (PBSA), is in progress in the federal capital.