HYDERABAD, March 7: A Japanese scholar has stressed joint efforts by Pakistani public and private sectors to overcome the existing constraints and make the country more attractive among the community of nations.

Hisaya Oda, associate senior research fellow of the Institute of Developing Economies JETRO, said while speaking at a seminar on "Prospective of Pakistan-Japan Relations: Security, Political and Economic Affairs" organised by Area Study Centre Far East and South East Asia of the University of Sindh on Tuesday that Japan's industrialisation had benefited a lot from the import of cotton from Pakistan.

Pakistani cotton made it possible for Japan to rebuild and jump-start its textile and related industries contributing to the country’s rapid economic growth in the post-war period. He, however, said that the recent data showed Pakistani exports to Japan were on the decline.Dr. Takako Hirose from Senshu University of Tokyo said throughout its post-war history, Japan had always taken a pro-US policy but it did not mean that it had never opposed it.

She said that war time memory had kept Japan out of this region for a long time while India-Pakistan conflicts had also had a negative impact. The situation gradually changed in 1990's when increased Japanese interests in the region brought about some changes in its traditional policy. One of the most noticeable change was its departure from equi-distance policy between India and Pakistan, she added.

Former ambassador to Japan Najamul Saqib Khan who was chief guest at the seminar said that the two countries were concentrating their efforts within the multilateral framework of United Nations to achieve new millennium goals.

He said that gains of earlier international trade agreements had been largely reaped by the highly industrialised countries, sidelining the developing countries. The two countries believed in moderation and were waging a sustained campaign against terrorism and extremism. The unresolved Arab-Israel dispute was a major threat to peace and stability in the Middle East and an incubator of extremism and violence, he said.

Mr Khan said that Japan had successfully launched export-led growth by building up competitive strength of its economy. The country had commendably provided large-scale assistance to Pakistan, grant as well as project aid to promote economic development, he said.

He said that aid programme needed diversification in view of shortfalls in providing some essential public services, water, electricity, basic education and health and sanitation.

The two countries had to be forward-looking and remain engaged in dialogue to develop a transparent partnership for peace and progress, he said.

Isra University Vice-Chancellor Dr Asadullah Kazi who presided over the seminar said that Japan was one of the largest bilateral donors, a major trade partner and the 4th largest investment partner of Pakistan with a cumulative investment of $385.6 million during the period 1989-90 through 2003-04, constituting five per cent of the total investment in the country.

He said that fighting terrorism was not the sole problem of Pakistan and added that as a leading nation in Asia, Japan would suffer if Pakistan was not secure therefore any assistance, both moral and material, was also in line with Japan’s interests.

Dr. Abul Kalam, Principal of London Westminster College, stressed continuous dialogue between the two countries. Both the countries could contribute from their respective positions as Asian players to the process of stabilisation of relations in an increasingly divided world.

Other speakers stressed dialogue and academic seminars on Pakistan-Japan relations to broaden understanding between the intelligentsia of the two countries and recommended establishment of Japan Foundation in Pakistan and increase in Japan's International Collaboration Agency (JICA) volunteers.

The Faculty of Social Sciences Dean Dr. Rafia Ahmed Shaikh, former diplomat Dr. Ross Masood Hosain and Dr. Lutfullah Mangi Director Area Study Centre Pakistan-Japan relations also spoke on the occasion.