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 undertakes preparations to host 2026 OIC ministerial conference on women
- Deputy PM Ishaq Dar directs authorities to finalize arrangements, logistics and thematic sessions for event
- Conference, held every three to four years, unites OIC ministers to review progress on women’s rights
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has directed authorities to finalize arrangements, logistics and thematic sessions for the ninth Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ministerial Conference on Women scheduled to be held in Pakistan this year, the foreign office said.
The conference, held approximately every three to four years, brings together ministers from OIC member states to review progress on women’s rights, share national policies and adopt new frameworks.
Dar chaired a meeting to review preparations for the OIC conference on women to ensure smooth and close coordination between the relevant ministries and the OIC Secretariat.
“He highlighted that the upcoming conference reflects Pakistan’s commitment to promoting women’s rights and strengthening their role across social, economic, and political spheres,” Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement.
Previous ministerial meetings have focused on themes such as women’s economic empowerment, combating gender-based violence, and improving access to education and health care.
Pakistan has confirmed it will host the event in early 2026, but the exact dates, venue, and agenda have not yet been announced.
The previous OIC ministerial conference on women was held in Cairo in 2021 and focused on women’s empowerment, protection frameworks, and socio-economic participation.
