KARACHI: Around 40 transgender persons have been selected as the members of Pakistan Boy Scouts Association (PBSA), a national scouting organization and one of the largest volunteer forces in the country, during a ceremony held in a local hotel.
PBSA was founded in 1947 and aims to train young boys in first aid, civil defense, camping and hiking, community development projects and emergency response and holds regular camps, hikes, speech contests and other activities such as tree planting camps and peace camps.
It became a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement in April 1948.Today, there are more than 700,000 members in the PBSA.
The young transgenders, wearing scout scarfs, took the oath at the welcome ceremony. They were briefed about the responsibilities as PBSA members.
“Such opportunities are very rare. This will give us help us to show the community that we are normal people doing normal things and this may make them comfortable hiring us for actual jobs,” said Bindiya Rana, who is the president of the Gender Interactive Alliance in Sindh “We feel we are finally being recognized as equal citizens of Pakistan and are glad to see that the level of our acceptance is increasing,” said TransAction Alliance president Farzana Jan, addressing a ceremony in Karachi. She said that the transgender community is extremely happy to be welcomed into the scouting community. Farzana is also the only transgender person who has been selected as a scout from Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa province.
Chairman of the Petarian Human Rights Organization, Ihsan Khosa said the ceremony as a defining moment for the transgender community.
“PBSA is open to all, without distinction of origin, race or creed,” said Atif Amin Hussain, Commissioner IPC Sindh Boys Scouts.
The Sindh and Pakistan boys scout association is not a gender-specific organization, said Akhter Mir, secretary of the Sindh Boys Scout Association, told the Arab News.
“Our association is primarily aimed at youth development and motivation. Transgender people are also youth, and we don’t discriminate on the basis of gender,” he said.
Transgender persons chosen as scouts
Transgender persons chosen as scouts
Pakistan sends 7.5 tons of additional relief supplies to Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah devastation
- Pakistan dispatches tents, tarpaulins, powdered milk aboard commercial flight from Lahore
- Pakistan Army, Navy and rescue teams are already operating in Sri Lankan disaster-hit zones
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday dispatched an additional 7.5 tons of humanitarian aid to Sri Lanka following widespread destruction caused by Cyclone Ditwah, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said in a statement.
More than two million people, nearly 10 percent of the population, have been affected by last week’s climate crisis-spurred floods and landslides triggered by Cyclone Ditwah, the worst on the island this century. Over 618 people have been killed.
Sri Lanka has issued a formal international appeal for emergency assistance, with Islamabad stepping up support on the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Monday’s relief consignment, including tents, tarpaulins and powdered milk, was flown to Colombo from Lahore on a commercial aircraft.
“NDMA has coordinated with airlines to ensure that all available cargo space on commercial flights is fully utilized for the rapid transport of relief items,” the disaster agency said. “This mechanism will continue in the coming days to dispatch further assistance as required.”
Pakistan has been supporting relief operations since the onset of the disaster. A Pakistan Army search-and-rescue team is currently operating in affected regions, backed by Pakistan Navy ships and helicopters assisting local authorities with evacuations and life-saving missions.
NDMA said Pakistan “stands firmly with the people of Sri Lanka in this difficult hour and will continue to extend all possible assistance to support ongoing rescue and relief efforts.”
The International Monetary Fund said on Friday Sri Lanka had requested financial assistance of about $200 million to address the destruction caused by the cyclone.
