President Dr. Arif Alvi has urged Japan to play its role for restoration of fundamental human rights of the Kashmiri people in Indian occupied Kashmir.

He was talking to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.

The President briefed the Japanese Prime Minister about the worsening situation of human rights in the occupied Kashmir.

President Arif Alvi stressed on the need for both countries to work together more closely to enhance mutually beneficial relations particularly in the fields of investment, trade, human resource development and people to people contacts. Referring to the young Pakistani population and a greying and shrinking population in Japan, the President also highlighted the inherent complementarities that could be exploited to benefit economies of both the countries.

President Arif Alvi felicitated the Japanese Prime Minister on the enthronement of the Emperor of Japan and hoped that the new Japanese era would bring more prosperity and well-being for the friendly people of Japan.

Arif Alvi expressed his heartfelt condolences on the loss of precious lives caused by the recent Typhoon Hagibis in Japan and wished the injured early recovery.

The Japanese Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the President for attending the enthronement and expressed hope that such exchanges will help in further enhancing the bilateral relations between Pakistan and Japan.

Meanwhile, speaking at a working luncheon meeting hosted for him by Japan-Pakistan Business Cooperation Committee in Tokyo, President Dr. Arif Alvi offered Japanese companies to invest in Special Economic Zones to cater not only to the big Pakistani market as well as of the wider region.

The President said Pakistan has a liberal investment policy and there are tremendous opportunities for the Japanese companies to take due advantage of the conducive environment.

The two sides also discussed possibilities to enhance investments in diverse sectors such as energy, food processing, fisheries, automobiles and agriculture.

Head of the delegation of Japan-Pakistan Business Cooperation Committee Koichi Yajima and the other business leaders acknowledged the economic credentials of Pakistan.

They expressed strong desire of JPBCC to make practical efforts for boosting up trade and investment relations between the two countries.

Aman/Zahid/Khokhar/Karrar