First Lady commends girl guides for contributing to nation-building
By Bushra Rafique

ISLAMABAD—First Lady Begum Sehba Musharraf Wednesday appreciated Pakistani girl guides for their contribution towards nation building and commended their services for the earthquake victims.
“The Pakistan Girl Guides Association has always contributed its share towards nation building activities and made a visible impression on the people by their devoted and sustained efforts during national emergencies,” she said while presiding over the concluding session of 10th All Pakistan Camp here.
The Camp inaugurated on November 1 was participated by girl guides from all provinces, AJK, Islamabad Capital Territory and Northern Areas. The First Lady who is also the Chief Girl Guide, lauded the commendable services of the girl guides they rendered after the last year’s devastating earthquake.
She described the Girl Guide movement as a very effective means of preparing girls and young women for the challenges of life. “It gives them self-confidence and the ability to do things for themselves as well as teaching them the most important lesson of helping people in distress,” she added. The holding of such camps, she added, was a very effective means of building up the character of young girls which was a major objective of the Girl Guides Association.
“This (the All Pakistan Camp) was a splendid opportunity for building national unity and good fellowship,” she added. Begum Sehba Musharraf appreciated the theme of the camp “Voice of the Girl” and expressed the confidence that this would prove a great fillip for the movement in the context of girl’s empowerment. She said that it was only through discipline, commitment to help others, honesty and sincerity of purpose that would make them role models for others.
The First Lady wished the Girl Guide Association all success in its endeavors to prepare girls and young women for future challenges. Earlier, National Commissioner Begum Azmat Hassan Baloch in her welcome remarks said that the movement was playing an important role in character building of young girls and enable them to play constructive role in the national development. Camp Director Farhana Azim presented the report of the 10th All Pakistan Camp.
She said the efforts of the gathering was to impart young girls a sense of conviction in their capabilities and confidence in their own talents. The Camp has strived to make them realize that they must prepare themselves and make efforts to achieve their dreams. At present Pakistan Girl Guides Association has a total of more than 100,000 members.
Guides of the age group of 6-11 years as junior guides, 11- 16 years as Girl Guides, 16-21 years as Senior Guides along with adult voluntary members participated in the camp from all over Pakistan. The Camp had been divided in four sub-camps namely “Hum Tayaar Hein,” “Yeh Watan Shadab Rahey,” “Tan Dursut Man Durust,” and “ Sohni Dharti”.