Published on: August 21, 2025 7:16 AM
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said Pakistan and Japan are “time-tested friends” and emphasised the need to expand cooperation in all sectors, particularly trade and investment.
She expressed these views during a meeting with Senior State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan Miyaji Takuma, at the Japanese Foreign Office, said a handout issued here on Wednesday.
“Japan is a symbol of economic, technological and social progress, and its traditions and values are worthy of emulation,” she noted.
Miyaji Takuma warmly welcomed Maryam Nawaz and congratulated her on becoming the first female chief minister of Punjab. He lauded the launch of more than 120 development projects in Punjab and described her official visit as the first by a Pakistani leader of her stature in three decades. He also expressed sympathy over the loss of lives caused by recent floods in Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
CM Maryam Nawaz said Pakistan wished to learn from Japan’s expertise in disaster management, particularly in dealing with earthquakes and floods. “Japan’s assistance after the devastating earthquake in Pakistan remains unforgettable. We want to benefit from Japan’s construction technology to strengthen our disaster preparedness,” she added.
The CM also briefed the Senior State Minister on Punjab’s investor-friendly policies and incentives, expressing the provincial government’s keen interest in adopting Japan’s development model. She extended her best wishes to the Japanese leadership and people.
Miyaji Takuma thanked the Chief Minister for her visit and emphasized Japan’s strong desire to further broaden and strengthen relations with Pakistan.
Separately, Maryam Nawaz visited Tokyo’s state-of-the-art traffic control centre on the third day of her five-day visit to Japan.
She was briefed in detail about the center’s modern systems, including traffic monitoring, data collection, transport planning, and emergency response mechanisms, said a handout issued here on Wednesday.
Officials informed the CM that Tokyo was the first city in the world to use infrared technology for traffic monitoring and control. They explained how CCTV cameras, roadside sensors, and advanced monitoring systems are used to prevent congestion, speeding, and signal violations.
The CM also observed systems that provide real-time public alerts on weather conditions and ensure timely ambulance and police response during accidents and emergencies.
On the occasion, CM Maryam Nawaz said Punjab would benefit from Japan’s advanced technology to modernize its urban transport systems. “Lahore will be developed as the first smart city using a modern traffic management system, for which funds have already been allocated in the annual development program,” she noted.
She added that traffic management in all major cities of Punjab, including Lahore, was being connected to artificial intelligence. “To maintain smooth traffic flow, more than 12,000 kilometers of roads have been revamped across Punjab,” she said, highlighting that efficient mass transit systems were also being introduced in Lahore, Gujranwala, and Faisalabad.
The chief minister further said that Safe City cameras are being effectively utilized for traffic monitoring in Punjab.
Also, the CM has decided to equip the Punjab Police with infrared and ultrasonic technology on the pattern of the Japanese Police. The Punjab Police will be equipped with a meticulous system for traffic management, accident control, and advance warning of weather conditions to the public. In the first phase, a pilot project will be launched in Lahore.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif will officially launch the project on her return from her official visit to Japan. She visited the National Police Crime Control Agency Head Office in Tokyo. She inspected various sections of the National Police Crime Control Agency.
She was briefed about the supervisory body of the Japanese police system. It was apprised in the briefing that the National Police Crime Control Agency supervises the performance of the Imperial Guards of Japan. All departments of the Japanese Police are attached with the National Police Crime Control Agency.
Moreover, Maryam Nawaz met Seishiro Eto Chairman Japan’s Parliamentarians’ Friendship League in which matters pertaining to enhancing Pak-Japan parliamentary contacts were agreed. Seishiro Eto congratulated Maryam Nawaz Sharif on becoming the first female Chief Minister of Punjab. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif appreciated Seishiro Eto’s services for promoting parliamentary as well as Pakistan-Japan relations. Seishiro Eto welcomed the visit of the first female Chief Minister to Japan.
Seishiro Eto while talking to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif assured that he would play his positive role in bringing investment to Punjab along with launching joint projects with Japan. It was also agreed to further strengthen mutual ties by maintaining contacts at the parliamentary level. Matters relating to issues for increasing cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, industry and manpower were discussed.
