Daily Times

JAMSHORO: Speakers at Sindh University have said that Pakistan-Japan friendship goes a long way as both countries share cultural commonalities despite linguistic variations.

They stressed the need to increase trade and volume of business between the both countries to the highest degree so as to get mutual benefits which will also create job opportunities for the youths of the two nations.

This they said while addressing the first ever international seminar titled “Pak-Japan Trade: Channel to Social connectivity” held by the department of sociology, University of Sindh at SU’s Senate Hall, Ghulam Mustafa Shah Administrative Building here on Wednesday. Chaired by the vice chancellor Professor (Meritorious) Dr. Muhammad Siddique Kalhoro, Japanese consul general (CG) in Pakistan Toshikazu Isomura was the chief guests.

Two keynote speakers were president of the Pakistan-Japan Intellect Forum (PJIF) Iqbal Burma, SU Prof Dr Hamadullah Kakepoto, Dr Ishrat Abbasi and Dr. Saima Shaikh. The vice chancellor Dr. Kalhoro said that Japan must send its investors to come and invest in Pakistan as there was a big market to produce electronic related items, scientific equipment and automobiles.

“What has brought Japan to the zenith of success, development and prosperity is their tenacity, perseverance, commitment, love for land and unprecedented loyal work ethics,” he asserted adding that Pakistan was required to learn the modus operandi of fast progress from Japan.

He said that a number of opportunities were there in every field especially after CPEC projects in Pakistan; therefore, he said that Japanese companies must come and start working there practically instead of exporting their things.

Dr. Kalhoro offered land in Jamshoro to the CG for bringing companies for various sorts of businesses including that of starting production of electronic related items and scientific instruments adding that there were three leading universities in Jamshoro which could provide skilled manpower, scholars and researchers to these companies.

“Universities of the country including Sindh varsity purchase expensive scientific instruments from Japanese companies but when these gadgets get out of order, the relevant dealers do not extend cooperation when it comes to repair. As a repair, the varsities have to dump the same. CG Karachi may intervene and help the universities in this regard”, he said.

Mr Isomura said that Japan had almost been devastated in 1945 after World War II, but like a phoenix it rose to its current economic height. “There were five secrets behind Japanese socio-economic resurrection i.e. spirit, hard work, education, technology and good luck,” the CG said.

He said that “Japan will happily continue its help, support and cooperation to Pakistan’s higher education institutions, especially Sindh University”. He added that as many as 85 companies were operating in Pakistan and that some other investors had to come to the country for investment in many fields but due to the outbreak of coronavirus across the world, the companies could not make it to arrive in Pakistan.

“As soon as the COVID-19 gets culminated, the Japanese investors would be coming to Pakistan because he said there were a number of opportunities in this country. He said that an IT park was being established in Japan where the Pakistani youths could get job opportunities, for which they needed to learn Japanese language.

“We are going to open a language centre at Sindh level where the youths can learn Japanese lingo by seeking admissions”, the CG said and added that it will surely bear fruit for the IT experts and skilled manpower of Pakistan.

Noted Pakistan-Japan affairs researcher and keynote speaker Iqbal Burma said that Tokyo had received the status of being Vatican in business as well as economic activities of the world. He said there were countless opportunities to promote mutual trade relations between the two countries.

Prof Dr Hamadullah Kakepoto put light on the sociological aspects of trade between Pakistan and Japan. He also narrated the Pakistan-Japan ways of life, spotlighting similarities and prospects of building upon those synergies.

On the occasion, Dr. Ishrat Abbasi and Dr. Saima Shaikh also spoke whereas dean faculty of social sciences Dr. Zareen Abbasi and many other dignitaries were present on the occasion. Dr. Ghazala Panhwar presented the vote of thanks.