Irfan Siddiqui
Tokyo
Prime Minister of Pakistan has constituted a high-level committee aimed at enhancing industrial cooperation with Japan, addressing challenges faced by Japanese companies in Pakistan, and unlocking new avenues for investment.
According to the official notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the committee will be chaired by the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production. Its members include the Secretaries of Industries and Production, Commerce, Economic Affairs Division, Overseas Pakistanis, and Interior. The Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, and a representative of the Pakistan Japan Business Forum will also be part of the committee. In addition, Parliamentary Secretary for Commerce Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhatti and former Ambassador-at-Large to Japan and the Far East, Chaudhry Asif Mahmood, have been included.
The committee’s Terms of Reference (ToRs) clearly outline its scope of work:
1. Enhance existing industrial cooperation between Pakistan and Japan.
2. Address specific issues faced by Japanese companies operating in Pakistan.
3. Suggest measures for promoting Japanese investment opportunities in Pakistan.
4. Review any other matter incidental to the above objectives.
The Ministry of Industries and Production will serve as the secretariat for the committee, while the body is required to present its report and recommendations to the Prime Minister within two weeks.
Analysts note that this development comes at a crucial time when Pakistan is seeking to diversify its industrial partnerships and attract foreign investment to revitalize its economy. Japan, being the world’s third-largest economy, has long been considered a trusted development partner for Pakistan. The formation of this committee underscores Islamabad’s intent to provide an enabling environment for Japanese investors, while ensuring that issues hampering industrial collaboration are effectively resolved.
Observers believe that if implemented in letter and spirit, the initiative could open new doors of bilateral industrial cooperation, strengthen Pakistan’s investment climate, and further consolidate economic ties between Islamabad and Tokyo.
