Tokyo: Following the National Day Celebrations at the Embassy on 23 March Pakistan Day reception was held at a local hotel on Monday. A large number of people including Parliamentarians, diplomats, leading media and business personalities and people belonging to different walks of life participated. The reception commenced with recitation from the Holy Quran followed by the National Anthems of Pakistan and Japan.
Ambassador Farukh Amil (فاروق عامل) welcomed the guests. He stressed that Pakistan came about through a democratic struggle. Democracy was firmly in the minds of our Founding Fathers. That enduring commitment to democracy was centre-stage as Pakistan smoothly moved from one democratically elected Government to the next. He highlighted the historical, political trade and business relations between the two countries. He expressed gratitude to the people and Government of Japan for their unconditional help and assistance in building social, infrastructural projects and the help especially during the natural calamities. He highlighted that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Abe met in New York six months earlier and reaffirmed to strengthen bilateral relations.
President of the Japan-Pakistan Parliamentarians Friendship League (JPPFL) Honourable Seishiro Eto was the Chief Guest at the reception. Speaking on the occasion, he appreciated the strengthening of democratic institutions in Pakistan and hoped it will augur well in future relations of the two countries and it will bring peace, prosperity and development to Pakistan.
The guests applauded the artwork painted by the children of Pakistan for a leading Japanese NPO working for children, education and art which has the patronage of the First Lady. The Ambassador said that the children of today represented our hopes for tomorrow and through this wonderful art Pakistani children were building bridges with the children of Japan and the world.
