NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATED AT THE EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN, TOKYOThe National Day of Pakistan was celebrated at the
Embassy of Pakistan, Tokyo with zeal, fervor andenthusiasm. The ceremony commenced with recitation fromthe Holy Quran followed by the National Anthem of Pakistan.
Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad hoisted the national flag whilst theaudience recited the National Anthem.

The Ambassador read the messages of President and Prime
Minister of Pakistan. The Ambassador in his remarks paid
homage to the father of the nation Muhammad Ali Jinnah, andall the other great leaders of the freedom movement who
paved the way for the creation of
Pakistan. He reiterated that
Pakistan had been achieved after
rendering innumerable scarifies,
hence, it was imperative upon all
Pakistanis to strive for promoting
peace, progress and unity in
Pakistan.
In the end prayers were offered
for the prosperity of the country
and for those affected bypandemic.

AMBASSADOR IMTIAZ AHMAD HELD INTERACTIVE SESSION WITH JAPANESE MEDIA ON
PAKISTAN DAY
Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad hosted prominent Japanese
media persons on the occasion of Pakistan Day.
Speaking to the journalists, Ambassador Ahmad reaffirmed
the importance of relationship with Japan and said that
Pakistan and Japan are long-standing friends and share a
special bond based on deep-rooted linkages that go far inhistory and time. He said that people of Pakistan carry a
deep sentiment of warmth and affection for Japan and theJapanese people. We have always stood with each other intimes of need, calamity and natural disasters, he added.

The event was attended by Ms.
Natsuko Kikuchi of The Yomiuri
Shimbun, Ms. Tamami Kawakami of
The Mainichi, Mr. Tsukasa Arita of
Kyodo News and Ms. Mai Asami of
JIJI press.

WEBINAR TO CELEBRATE PAKISTAN DAY
A webinar to celebrate Pakistan Day was held in the
Embassy of Pakistan, Tokyo which was attended by
Pakistani community living in Japan.
Ambassador of Pakistan to Japan Mr. Imtiaz Ahmad
opened the session by reading out messages of the
President and Prime Minister of Pakistan. He also
shared his thoughts on the occasion with theparticipants and highlighted the importance ofPakistan Resolution.
Prominent historian Dr. Wiqar Ali Shah fromNUML University Islamabad also joined thesession and gave a brief overview of theevents that took place from 1857 to 1940.
He said that the 400 words contained inPakistan Resolution changed the course ofhistory for South Asian Muslims and led tothe creation of Pakistan on 14th August
1947.
Members of the Pakistani community inJapan and Pakistani students who arecompleting various degrees from Japanese
universities shared their views on the event.

AMBASSADOR IMTIAZ AHMAD INAUGURATED PICTORIAL EXHIBITION
TO COMMEMORATE PAKISTAN DAY
A photo exhibition was held at the Embassy of
Pakistan in Tokyo to commemorate Pakistan Day. The
theme of the exhibition was Pakistan’s nature anddiversity.
Speaking at the inauguration Ambassador Imtiaz
Ahmad said that Pakistan is one of those few
countries which is blessed with rich diversity. We haverelics of some of the oldest civilizations in the world,
exquisite scenic beauty, highest peaks, sacred
religious and historical places, seasonal variations,
unique arts and crafts, rich traditions and delicious
cuisine.
Preserving precious memories, bonds, and moments
in photographs is an important part of human culture,
the Ambassador said.
The exhibition displayed photos of Pakistan’s wildlife,
landscapes, costumes, crafts and sporting
events. Visitors admired the work of Mahnoor Saghir,
Fakhr e Alam, Qammer Wazir and Nauman that wasat display.

2

EVENT AT THE EMBASSY TO OBSERVE KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY
In order to express solidarity and to reaffirm steadfast support for Kashmiri brothers and sisters in
distress, we observed Kashmir Solidarity Day at the Chancery today.
A broad cross section of Japanese society comprising of academics, journalists, think tanks,business persons, and members of the Pakistan Community were in attendance.
Messages of the President and Prime Minister in support of the Kashmir cause were read out. The
National Anthem of Azad Jammu & Kashmir along with our National Anthem was played on theoccasion. Members of the Pakistan Community also made speeches in support of our Kashmiri
brethren. Earlier in the day, Pakistan Community members with banners and placards in handmarched towards the UN Representative Office in Tokyo and submitted a resolution on behalf of
the “Kashmir Solidarity Forum Japan” reminding the United Nations of its pledge made to thepeople of Kashmir accepting their right of self determination.

Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad in his key-note address shed light on
India’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019 andemphasized that despite turning Kashmir into a large prison, India
has not been able to dampen the determined spirit of the freedom
loving Kashmiri people. He enumerated the steps taken by thegovernment of Pakistan at various international forums to highlight
India’s unacceptable actions and gross human rights violations. He
acknowledged the concerns raised by International community,
human rights organizations, media and civil society on thecontinuing gross human rights violations and their condemnation ofIndian unconcealed brutalities in IIOJK.
The Ambassador concluded his speech by reaffirming Pakistan’s
continued political, diplomatic and moral support to the oppressed
Kashmiris in their legitimate struggle for the right to selfdetermination, promised to them by the international community
through numerous UNSC Resolutions.
The Ambassador also presented a letter of appreciation to Mr.
Shahid Majeed, Chairman, Kashmir Solidarity Forum, Japan for his
contribution towards highlighting the Kashmir cause in Japan.
3Webinar held at the Embassy on the occasion of “Kashmir Solidarity Day” . The
event was attended by representatives of Japanese media, Kashmiri activists inJapan, and the spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir Journalists Associationfrom Srinagar.

KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY
A photographic exhibition wasorganized by the Embassy to highlightthe continuing torture and brutal
repression carried out by the Indian
Occupied forces in IIOJK

4Members of the Pakistanicommunity and Kashmiri
Diaspora held a strong protest
in front of the Indian Embassy
to observe the Kashmir
Solidarity Day and strongly
agitated against theunprecedented gross humanrights violations in IIOJK by
Indian security forces.

PAKISTANI CHILDREN DONATE BOOKS FOR JAPANESE KIDS
School children from Headstart School Islamabad, Pakistan ran a book donation drive to help
complete Tono Children's Book Forest Project in Tono city, Japan.
Tono is known as The City of Folklore for its rural nature, its traditional culture and folktales. It is
located in Iwate prefecture, 500 kilometers north of Tokyo. The city is developing a cultural facility
for children designed by famous architect Tadao Ando. The facility called “book forest” will offer
children thousands of books to read onsite. Last year the Mayor of Tono decided that all books forthe facility will be collected through donations.
School children from Pakistan were excited to become part of the book donation drive with thecooperation of Pakistan Embassy, Tokyo and collected several books about historical and culturalrichness of Pakistan. The collection also consisted of several children’s story books.
Pakistani kids also sent handwritten letters to their friends in Tono City wherein they expressed
their joy of helping set up a library for them.

5

E-KHULI KACHEHRI “OPEN HOUSE” FOR PAKISTANI COMMUNITY
ORGANIZED BY THE EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN
According to Prime Minister’s initiative of reaching out to the Pakistani community, Pakistan
Embassy, Tokyo, held an “Open House” (e-Khuli Kachehri) on March 26, 2021.
Ambassador Mr. Imtiaz Ahmad chaired the event and opened the session with detailed briefing to
the community on purpose and objectives of the E-Khuli Kachehri, followed by a quick round up of
the corona situation in Japan. He urged the community to follow all the SOPs and take every
precaution against the virus. He also informed the community about border enforcement measures
by Japanese Government in wake of the UK variant prevalent in different countries including
Pakistan. He also apprised the audience about the follow up steps taken after the last meeting
which included distribution of Rashan among the needy and embedding Pakistan Student
Association of Japan’s (PSAJ) website with the Embassy’s webpage. He also congratulated the
Pakistani students who recently graduated in different programs in various universities of Japan.

The Second Secretary, Mirza Sameer Baig apprised the community about different measurestaken by the Government of Pakistan for their facilitation. He said that services related to visa andpassport can now be availed online, adding that physical presence is required only for a few
services like biometrics and power of attorney.
Trade and Investment Counsellor Mr. Tahir Habib Cheema briefed the community about traderelated matters. He said that over the years trade between Pakistan and Japan has remained
limited to a few products but now we are going towards diversification. He said that Pakistanileather products were on display on the “Tokyo Fashion site” held recently. He also said that many
Japanese IT companies have shown interest in hiring Pakistani IT engineers for their projects,
adding that we will see many Pakistani IT engineers coming to Japan in near future. Cheema
apprised the community members about measures taken to simplify the procedure of sending cars
to Pakistan through gift scheme.
The community members praised Prime Minister Imran Khan’s initiative of e-Kachehris and shared
their opinions and suggestions for improving the quality of work related to various services
provided by the Embassy.

67th PAKISTAN-JAPAN HIGH LEVEL ECONOMIC POLICY DIALOGUE
The 7th Pakistan-Japan High Level Economic Policy Dialogue was held today in virtual format. The
Pakistan delegation was led by Mr. Noor Ahmed, Secretary, Economic Affairs Division, whereas theJapan delegation was led by Mr. Hiroshi Suzuki, Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Ambassador of Pakistan to Japan Mr. Imtiaz Ahmad and Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Mr.
Kuninori Matsuda also attended the Dialogue.
Both sides gave an
overview of the current
status of bilateral
economic relations andreaffirmed theircommitment toenhance mutually
beneficial economic
cooperation in diverse
fields. Japanacknowledged
Pakistan’s geoeconomic location with
its connectivity
potential as an export
destination forJapanese goods andservices not only
catering to the Pakistan
market but also to thewider region.
In order to bridge the balance of trade between the two countries, various measures to enhance
Pakistan’s export competitiveness such as transfer of technology, technical know-how, capacity
building, and even joint ventures for Pakistan’s export-oriented industries were discussed. The twosides also agreed to deliberate further on the possibility of concluding a Free Trade Agreement(FTA)/Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Agriculture products, fisheries, textiles, foodprocessing, and ICT cooperation were some of the main areas identified as having the greatest
potential for bilateral trade cooperation.
In the field of investment cooperation, Pakistan proposed Japan to take advantage of opportunities
in its investor friendly Special Economic Zones and even offered a country specific economic zone
for Japanese investment. Japan expressed certain investment and tax related concerns faced byits companies operating in Pakistan, which Pakistan side agreed to address.
With regard to human resource cooperation, both sides recognized the existence of immense
potential in export of skilled and semi-skilled manpower to Japan and discussed ways and means
to achieve maximum dividends from the MoCs signed between the two countries on TechnicalIntern Training and Specified Skilled Workers Programmes. Japan was keen to utilize Pakistan’shighly qualified ICT experts in win-win cooperation for both countries.
The two sides resolved to work together in giving concrete shape to the various proposals
discussed during the Dialogue.
7

EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN COMMEMORATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE
GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE
To mark the 10th year of the Great East Japan
Earthquake 2011 and to acknowledge the services of
the Pakistani community in the massive relief
operations, a live zoom session was held by the
Embassy of Pakistan in Tokyo on Thursday. The
session was attended by a large number of Pakistanis
who participated in relief efforts during the disaster.

On 11th March 2011 Japan suffered unimaginable
tragedy following the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear
accident. It was the most powerful earthquake everrecorded in Japan, and the fourth most powerfulearthquake in the world since modern record-keeping
began in 1900.
Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad briefed theparticipants about the incident. He said that the
9.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Tohoku
region of Japan in March 2011 caused at least
16000 deaths and almost $200 billion damage tothe infrastructure.
Soon after the earthquake, the Embassy
established an emergency cell with round theclock duties to help with relief activities. The
Embassy sent seven teams to the affected areas
who distributed warm clothes and food among
the affected people.
Mr. Muhammad Zubair of Islamic Circle ofJapan, Ghalib Hussain and Haroon Qureshi ofJapan Islamic Trust, Mr. Shahid Majeed, Mr.
Inam ul Haq and Hafiz Mahar Shams sharedmemories of the relief operations. Soon after theearthquake, many teams of Pakistani nationals
from various regions of Japan rushed to affectedareas to deliver relief goods. They also cooked
fresh meals for them.
The selfless service offered by Pakistanicommunity during the disaster left a lasting
impression on Japanese consciousness and wascommended by all sections of the society. Theirtireless work has not only been recognized by
the Japanese leadership but has also been
widely covered by the Japanese print andelectronic media.
Earlier a photo exhibition was also held at the
Embassy that displayed photographs of the relief
8
activities.

THE GREAT EAST JAPAN EARTHQUAKE AND PAKISTAN'S RELIEF EFFORTS REMEMBERED...
To mark the 10th year of the Great East
Japan Earthquake 2011 and to acknowledge
the services of Pakistanis in the massive
relief operations, International Press Divisionof Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairsarranged an interview of Ambassador Imtiaz
Ahmad with a panel of three Pakistani
journalists. The panel included Mr. Shams
Abbasi of APP, Mr. Amin Ahmad of Dawn,
and Ms Jamila Achakzai of The News. Two
Japanese persons of Pakistani origin Mr.
Anees Raees and Mr. Ramzan Siddique,
who took active part in relief operations, alsojoined the interview online.
At the outset, Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad
briefed the panel about the incident. He said
that the 9.1 magnitude earthquake thatstruck Tohoku region of Japan in March2011 was the largest earthquake ever to hit
Japan, causing 16000 deaths and almost$200 billion damage to the infrastructure.
Soon after the earthquake, we establishedan emergency cell in the Pakistani Embassy,
Tokyo with round the clock duties. We also
flashed our cell numbers on Pakistani TV
channels for earthquake affectees and theirfamilies in Pakistan. We started receiving
calls from Pakistani nationals living in Japan
as well as their relatives in Pakistan. In many
earthquake affected areas, telephonelines were not working and people were
finding it difficult to contact.
We made list of missing Pakistanis and started contacting them on phone as well as taking help of Pakistaninationals living in those areas.
After a few days, we were able to contact all of them except two persons. One of them had unfortunately died in
the Tsunami and the other one was later traced by the Embassy and reported to his family back in Pakistan.
There were many Pakistanis living in affected areas who had contacted us for help. We met Pakistani nationals
in Sendai and delivered relief goods to them. Two female students wanted to go back to Pakistan, we broughtthem to Tokyo and arranged their repatriation to Pakistan. We repatriated six persons to Pakistan. All
subsequent visits to Tohoku region were aimed at delivering relief goods to Japanese nationals affected by theearthquake. The Embassy sent seven teams to the affected areas for relief activities. The Government ofPakistan sent two planes load of relief goods for the affected people which were delivered by the Embassy to
Sendai and Morioka cities. We visited Sendai, Morioka, Ishinomaki, Kesennuma and Fukushima.
Our community living in Japan actively participated in relief activities. Soon after the earthquake, many teams of
Pakistani nationals from various regions of Japan rushed to affected areas to deliver relief goods. Mr. Anees
Raees, set up a kitchen in Ishinomaki and cooked food everyday for the 1000 people till May 20, 2011. Mr.
Ramzan Siddique also prepared lunch boxes for 800 people and accompanied us to deliver it to affected people
in Ishinomaki.
On a question regarding key lessons learned from the Japanese relief operations that can be replicated inPakistan, Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad said that disaster preparedness is the key. Since earthquakes are acommon occurrence in Japan therefore Japanese people are very well-informed on the issue. Secondly relevant
technologies and building codes are very crucial. They not only minimize the damage caused by disasters but
also help with the relief efforts.

9

E-KHULI KACHEHRI “OPEN HOUSE” FOR PAKISTANI COMMUNITY ORGANIZED BY THE
EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN, TOKYO, JAPANAccording to Prime Minister’s initiative of reaching out
to the Pakistani community, Pakistan Embassy, Tokyo,
held an “Open House” (e-Khuli Kachehri) on February
02, 2021.
Ambassador H.E. Mr. Imtiaz Ahmad chaired the eventand opened the session with detailed briefing to thecommunity on purpose and objectives of the E-Khuli
Kachehri, followed by a quick round up of the corona
situation in Japan. He urged the community to follow
all the SOPs and take every precaution against thevirus.
While apprising the community about
different measures taken by thegovernment of Pakistan for theirfacilitation, he said that our services
related to visa and passport can now beavailed online, adding that physicalpresence is required only for a few
services like biometrics and power ofattorney. The Ambassador also briefed
the community members about Roshan
Digital Account, Pakistan’s rising trade,investments, manpower export andgrowing bilateral relationship between
Japan and Pakistan.

Trade and Commercial Counsellor Mr. Tahir Habib Cheema briefed the community about traderelated matters. He said that over the years trade between Pakistan and Japan has remained
limited to a few products but now we are going towards diversification. He said that among otherthings there is great potential for exporting Pakistani seafood, surgical items and agricultural
products to Japan. He also said that many Japanese IT companies have shown interest in hiring
Pakistani IT engineers for their projects, adding that we will see many Pakistani IT engineers
coming to Japan in near future.
Mr. Cheema apprised the community members about measures taken to simplify the procedure ofsending cars to Pakistan through gift scheme. He allayed concerns of the community members
regarding an ongoing investigation against few people who used fake stamp and signature of the
Pakistani Embassy to clear a vehicle, and said that genuine businessmen will not be affected bythis.
The community members praised Prime Minister Imran Khan’s initiative of e-Kachehris and shared
their opinions and suggestions for improving the quality of work related to various services provided
by the embassy.

10

JAPANESE VIRTUAL BUSINESS DELEGATION FOR PAKISTAN
Embassy of Pakistan co-hosted a delegation of Japanese companies
interested in investing in Pakistan with the support of Board of
Investment (BoI), Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP),
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Investment &Technology Promotion Office (ITPO) UNIDO holding webinars, virtual
tours to Special Economic Zones (SEZs), online
meetings/presentations by public sector stakeholders and B2B
meetings during a two days event in Tokyo on January 13-14, 2021.
Ambassador of Pakistan to Japan, Mr. Imtiaz Ahmad inaugurated theevent and welcomed the Japanese delegate companies. In his
opening remarks, the Ambassador, while acknowledging contributionsof more than eighty Japanese companies already operating inPakistan, pointed towards a keen interest shown by many more
Japanese companies to integrate in Pakistan’s economy for which theMission expects expansion and diversification of Japanese investment
in Pakistan in the coming years.
The Ambassador further emphasized the supportive and enabling
investment climate offered by Pakistan on the basis of better
regulations for safeguarding foreign investment and significant
improvement in Ease of Doing Business ranking by the World Bank
with consistent and continued efforts to improve business environment
in the country by all stakeholders.
The audience was also introduced to the attractive incentives being
offered for investing in Special Economic Zones in Pakistan in addition
to the commercial advantages associated with Pakistan such as its
geographical location, huge domestic market, no distinction between
domestic and foreign investors, trained and English speaking
educated manpower, quality infrastructure, abundant natural resourcesand extensive digital penetration already well recognized bymultinational companies.
In different sessions during the event, Japanese investors were
exposed to various investment opportunities in the sectors including
but not limited to Textiles, Leather, Sports Goods, Surgical
Instruments, Fisheries, Fruits & Vegetables, Agricultural Machinery,
Marble & Granite, Autoparts, Construction &Housing and Information
Technology.
Pakistan’s Trade and Investment Counselor in Japan Mr. Tahir Habib
Cheema represented the Embassy, Ministry of Commerce and Boardof Investment throughout the event responding to questions andconcerns raised by Japanese participants. During the last session
hosted for all major business chambers in Pakistan to interact with thedelegation, Mr. Cheema offered both Japanese investors andPakistani companies to obtain assistance from the Mission as andwhen required.
The Embassy of Pakistan in Tokyo assured its full cooperation to BoI
and TDAP for promoting investment and trade between Pakistan andJapan while thanking JICA, JETRO and ITPO UNIDO for theircontinued support in enhancing bilateral economic cooperation
between Pakistan and Japan.

11ECONOMIC, TRADE, CULTURAL AND TOURISM OUTREACH
Chairman Zeal Corporation Mr. Iyama & President Lima Trucks Mr. Yamaguchi conveyed
their group’s keen interest in investing in logistics & construction sectors in Pakistan in a
meeting with Ambassador Mr. Imtiaz Ahmad and Trade & Investment Counselor Mr.
Cheema.

Ambassador Imtiaz Ahmad
welcomed interest ofJapanese human resourcecompanies in skilled andhighly skilled professionals
from Pakistan, offering
support in matchmaking thestakeholders during ameeting with CEO of +W Ms.
Wakako Sakurai.
12

PAKISTAN DAY SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS PUBLISHED BY
THE JAPAN NEWS ON 23 MARCH 2021

PAKISTAN DAY SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS PUBLISHED BY
THE JAPAN NEWS ON 23 MARCH 2021

PAKISTAN DAY SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS PUBLISHED BY
THE JAPAN TIMES ON 23 MARCH 2021

PAKISTAN DAY SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS PUBLISHED BY
THE JAPAN TIMES ON 23 MARCH 2021