Pakistani Ambassador Noor Muhammad Jadmani, who arrived in Tokyo in January for his first assignment in Japan and whose credentials were received by the Emperor in March, expressed hope Friday that Japan will engage deeply with his country.
Japan can invest in such industrial sectors as textiles, food and energy in Pakistan, Jadmani said during a visit to The Japan Times President Yukiko Ogasawara.
He called attention to a 1,012-hectare economic zone near Karachi specifically set aside for Japanese investment, as well as the massive coal deposit in the southern part of Pakistan near the Indian border. It is considered the world's third-largest coal reserve, with 185 billion tons. He also sought Japanese investment in a new port in Gwadar.
Pakistan's strong points are good-quality but affordable labor and access to markets in China, the Middle East and Central Asia, he said.
Touching on Pakistan's fight against Islamic extremists, the Pakistani army in its recent operation killed more than 700 terrorists and extremists, he said.
Ruling out the possibility of Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling into the hands of extremists, Jadmani said the weapons are in "extremely safe hands" and protected by a multilayer security arrangement.
He also said Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai have a good working relationship and Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran are in regular contact to discuss various issues, including the security situation.
Under Zardari, Pakistan is a vibrant democracy with democratic institutions, including a dynamic legislature and emerging secular parties, Jadmani emphasized.