‘Scouts can help develop nation’s civic sense’

President Dr Alvi takes oath as chief scout

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday termed scouts as the ‘first physical and knowledgeable tier’ of society, noting that the volunteer youth force can significantly transform a nation by developing its civic sense at the grassroots level.

He said this while taking oath as the Chief Scout of Pakistan at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Tuesday. The oath was administered by the Pakistan Boy Scouts Association Chief Commissioner Sarfaraz Qamar Daha at a ceremony attended by young and senior scouts, representing two million of their fellow members from across the country. Dr Alvi was also presented with the distinctive scout scarf.

President Dr Alvi said that scouts have the potential to play a constructive role in areas such as sensitising people on literacy, hygiene, fighting corruption and controlling fake news to improve the community.

Quoting an excerpt from Quaid’s investiture speech in 1947, Dr Alvi said that scouting developed the youth’s character by helping them learn to subordinate personal interests for other’s welfare and eschew violence of word and action while attaining their goal of universal brotherhood.

President Alvi said nations are built not based on massive resources, but through the collective will and determination of its people.  

Published in The Express Tribune, January 29^th, 2020.