PESHAWAR, May 24: NWFP Governor Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai has said the ‘scouts movement’ would be made more effective in view of the prevailing circumstances.

He was addressing a ceremony after taking oath as the chief scout of the province at the Governor’s House here on Thursday. He praised the scouts’ role in national tragedies like the Oct 8, 2005 earthquake.

Chief Commissioner of Pakistan Boys Scouts Association Lt-Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf, who is also the federal minister for education, administered oath to the governor and also addressed the function.

He also presented a certificate on behalf of the country’s Chief Scout, President Gen Pervez Musharraf, to the governor and decorated him with the scout scarf.

Highlighting the sensitive situation confronting the country, Lt-Gen Ali Mohammad Jan Aurakzai said that people should be protected from evils like terrorism, extremism, militancy and sectarianism.

He said that although he realised the global dimensions of the problems “we have to handle them effectively and put our nation on the path of progress and prosperity”.

Referring to the problems faced by the scouts movement in the province, the governor said that efforts would be made to provide sufficient resources to equip the movement with adequate facilities.

As an immediate initiative, he announced a grant of Rs1 million for the organisation. He also promised to take necessary steps for repair and renovation of the Scouts’ quarters in Hayatabad as well as development and improvement of the Takiya Scouts Camp, located on the Galliyat Road in Abbottabad.

Federal Minister for Education Javed Ashraf said that centenary celebrations of the scouts movement were being observed the world over and a big congregation of scouts was being planned in the federal capital. The ceremony was also addressed by provincial Scout Commissioner Hameed Khan.—APP