Tuesday, 23, 2021 | The Japan Times | 5 PakistanNational Day Special A special relationship forged by history

IMTIAZ AHMAD day of Pakistan and Japan are long-standing dered their services to help the affected AMBASSADOR OF PAKISTAN to commemorate friends and share a special bond based on people in the aftermath of the earthquake the historic day of deep-rooted linkages that go far in history and tsunami. Indeed, all this makes us On this auspicious occasion of the , 1940, and time. The people of Pakistan carry very proud. of Pakistan, let me express when our founding a deep sentiment of warmth and affec- On this cherished day, we pledge to on behalf of the , fathers clearly laid tion for Japan and the Japanese people. take the Pakistan-Japan bilateral relation- myself and my compatriots in Japan, our out the vision for a We have always stood with each other ship to further heights in the new Japa- respectful and sincere greetings to Their separate and inde- in times of need, calamity and natural nese era of Reiwa. Thank you! Long Live Imperial Majesties the Emperor and pendent state for disasters. Pakistan! Long Live the Pakistan-Japan Empress, members of the Imperial family, the Muslims of the 2021 marks the 10th anniversary of the Friendship. H.E. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Indian subcontinent. That vision became Great East Japan Earthquake that struck the government and the friendly people a reality on Aug. 14, 1947, owing to the the Tohoku region. It was a great tragedy This content was compiled in collaboration of Japan. relentless efforts by our elders led by resulting in the loss of precious lives. The with the embassy. The views expressed here do Every year, we celebrate the national Quaid-e-Azam . Pakistani community living in Japan ren- not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper. Mulla Ki Basti, a popular place to camp in the northern Mansehra District FAKHR ALAM

Tourism on the rise as foreign businesses profit

There is a popular legend among Japanese countries started as trading partners, The outreach campaign Option Paki- backpackers that the landscapes in “Nau- particularly in cotton and textiles, in the stan launched by the Pakistan Embassy in sicaa of the Valley of the Wind,” a 1984 1950s. Japan was dependent on raw cot- Tokyo has attracted a lot of attention from anime by Hayao Miyazaki, were modeled ton imports from Pakistan and Japanese major business chambers and associa- on the Hunza Valley of Pakistan. Although spindles played a crucial role in develop- tions in Japan, and we are moving ahead it’s difficult to ascertain the source of the ing Pakistan’s textile industry. to the matchmaking stage in collabora- story, its references can be found in travel Today, Pakistan offers an open and tion with partners in both countries. guides and social media posts. deregulated market with 100% equity To leverage its geoeconomic location, On Japanese social media I’ve found ownership and 100% repatriation of capi- Pakistan is actively pursuing regional many posts on Pakistan’s food, gem- tal and dividends. Our IT sector is brim- connectivity projects that also provide stones, northern areas and the daily flag- ming with talent. In the past five years Japanese firms great opportunities for Khaplu Palace, a fort in eastern Gilgit-Baltistan MAHNOOR SAGHIR The Indus River near Skardu in Gilgit-Baltistan QAMMER WAZIR lowering ceremony at the Wagah border. IT export remittances have grown 151% investment and partnerships. Every day I see content and vlogs on Paki- for a compound annual rate of 20%, the On defense and security, Pakistan stan popping up all over the web, high- highest in the region. Therefore many and Japan have active coordination and lighting Japan’s growing interest. This is a Japanese IT firms have shown interest in cooperation in maritime security in the promising trend, especially when access hiring IT experts from Pakistan. North Arabian Sea. The navies of both A celebration of strong reciprocal ties has become easy. Japanese can now apply From 2007 to 2017, leading multina- frequently hold joint training involving online for visas and often get them in a tional corporations like Unilever, GSK, humanitarian aid, disaster relief and anti- SEISHIRO ETO against the spread of COVID-19, there was as medical equipment, to strengthen the week. Nestle, Colgate-Palmolive and Telenor piracy operations. Last month, Japan’s PRESIDENT, JAPAN-PAKISTAN active communication between Japan and country’s medical systems. On the other Pakistan has seen a 70% increase in have consistently made astronomically Maritime Self-Defense Force participated PARLIAMENTARIANS FRIENDSHIP LEAGUE Pakistan, such as telephone discussions hand, the government of Pakistan and international tourist arrivals over the high profits in Pakistan as compared with in one of the largest multilateral maritime between Japanese Foreign Minister Toshi- Pakistan International Airlines provided past three years. In 2019, Forbes, the their global averages. Therefore, Japanese cooperative engagements in the Arabian On behalf of the mitsu Motegi and his Pakistan counterpart kind cooperation for 110 Japanese nation- British Backpacker Society and Conde companies also consider Pakistan one of Sea — the Exercise Aman (Peace), which Japan-Pakistan Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, as als who had been residing in Pakistan and Nast named it a top tourist destination. the most profitable international desti- was hosted by the Pakistan Navy. Parliamentarians well as between Japanese Defense Minister wished to return to Japan amid the globally Whereas interest in tourism is growing, nations as we see growing interest in the Friendship League, Taro Kono and Pakistan Army Chief Gen. spreading contagion so they could safely trade has always been a major area of energy, minerals, infrastructure, pharma- Muhammad Farrukh Rafiq, Press Counsel- I would like to Qamar Javed Bajwa. These talks confirmed return to Japan last April. focus between Pakistan and Japan. Both ceutical, seafood and dairy sectors. lor, Embassy of Pakistan, Tokyo extend my heartfelt the existence of friendly and strong bilat- Japan and Pakistan will celebrate the congratulations to eral relations even amid the coronavirus 70th anniversary of the establishment of the government catastrophe. Last February, the Maritime diplomatic relations next year. As the presi- and people of the Self-Defense Force participated in the Paki- dent of the Japan-Pakistan Parliamentar- stan Navy’s Multinational Maritime Exer- ians Friendship League, I pray that both of of Pakistan on the auspicious occasion of cise Aman-21 with over 40 other countries, our countries will celebrate an early victory . which led to the advancement of defense in the fight against COVID-19 and would Japan and Pakistan have been enjoy- exchanges between Japan and Pakistan. like to further strengthen bilateral rela- ing exchanges in various fields, including As both countries are still working con- tions, looking ahead to the post-corona era. politics, economy, culture and academia tinuously to bring the spread of COVID-19 I would like to take this opportunity to since the establishment of diplomatic ties to a rapid halt, I hope we will share our extend my best wishes for the continued in 1952. Although in the past year mutual knowledge and experience with each other prosperity of Pakistan and the further visits between the countries were largely to solve this issue. Japan has been provid- development of friendly relations between restricted due to the worldwide fight ing related assistance to Pakistan, such Japan and Pakistan. 23RD MARCH

Toward greater commerce and prosperity The founder of Pakistan Prime Minister of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah Imran Khan TERUO ASADA in Pakistan and a business ties, trade, investment and eco- CHAIRMAN, THE JAPAN-PAKISTAN population surpass- nomic activities. BUSINESS COOPERATION COMMITTEE ing 200 million, In October 2019, the JPBCC held a round- the pace of market table talk with His Excellency Dr. Arif Alvi, THIS DAY On behalf of the Japan-Pakistan Business penetration by Japa- president of the Islamic Republic of Paki- Cooperation Committee (JPBCC), I would nese companies is stan, where the attendees had thorough, like to offer my warmest congratulations to expected to acceler- valuable discussions. The JPBCC hopes to WE CELEBRATE the government and people of the Islamic ate. I am convinced contribute to the further development of Republic of Pakistan on the auspicious that more will enter business between our countries through occasion of Pakistan Day. Pakistan’s market such activities. THE ANNIVERSARY Under the leadership of Imran Khan’s once the COVID-19 pandemic has been I conclude by once again offering my Cabinet, investors’ expectations for eco- contained. congratulations on Pakistan Day, as well as nomic reform have risen substantially. The JPBCC was established in 1984. Since my sincere wishes for Pakistan’s increasing With increasing business momentum then, we have been promoting bilateral development and prosperity in the future. OF OUR NATIONAL DAY

with renewed vigour and hope to build up a happy, prosperous and progressive future for our country and leave behind a rich legacy of achievements for our future generations to feel proud of. Congratulations NBP will continue to play its role in promoting the national effort to the People of for all-round development. Tokyo the Islamic Republic of Pakistan CJ Building 3F, 7-4, Nishi Shimbashi 2-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003 P.O. BOX Shiba 272 Tokyo 105-8691 on the Occasion of Phone: 81-3-3502-0331~3 Fax: 81-3-3502-0359 E-mail: [email protected] SWIFT: NBPAJPJT the Anniversary of Osaka Sanei-Shinsaibashi Building 4F, 13-15, Nishi Shinsaibashi 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0086 their National Day Phone: 81-6-6244-8934 Fax: 81-6-6244-8938 E-mail: [email protected] SWIFT: NBPAJPJTOSK

https://www.marubeni.com http://www.nbp.com.pk A Pakistani woman from the Gilgit-Baltistan region wears a traditional dress. ASMAR HUSSAIN

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