Red Crescent volunteers to help make Islamabad safe, healthy

Islamabad : The Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC), together with the Islamabad Police, has developed consensus on utilising the potential of the trained volunteers of Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to turn Islamabad into a secure and healthy city.

The Mayor of Islamabad Sheikh Ansar Aziz made an announcement to this effect while addressing participants of a rally launched by PRCS in collaboration with IMC and Islamabad Police to mark International Volunteers Day here on Thursday.

Over 50 male and female cyclists participated in the rally, which started from Faisal Masjid and concluded at the same place after touching the Faisal Avenue Intersection. IGP Islamabad Sultan Azam Temuri, Islamabad Traffic Police in-charge Malik Matloob Hussain, President of the Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) Naveed Malik and a large number of civil society representatives attended the rally. The purpose of the rally was to promote volunteerism and educate citizens about road safety and observance of traffic laws.

Addressing the participants before the rally took off, Ansar Aziz said, “There is dire need to promote volunteerism in the current scenario.” He pledged to actively promote all PRCS initiatives like first-aid trainings, afforestation, and health and hygiene campaigns. Ansar assured that IMC would work shoulder to shoulder with PRCS in all its welfare initiatives. He also prayed for the success of ICRS’s ongoing campaign ‘Give Way to Ambulance, Give Way to Life.’

Speaking on the occasion, Azam Temuri said the police department is introducing volunteers in police and will take the PRCS-trained volunteers and benefit from their expertise.

The Acting Secretary General of PRCS Abaid Ullah Khan expressed pride in announcing that the number of trained PRCS volunteers in 92 districts of the country will soon reach the 5 million mark.   Memorial shields were distributed among participants at the end of the rally. Earlier on, the participants took oath, pledging not to spare any efforts to make the campaign a success.