The Government of Japan on Wednesday announced the foreign recipients of the 2020 Spring Conferment of Decorations and honoured Sohail P. Ahmed, former Chairman of the Pakistan Japan Business Forum (PJBF), and Professor Mohammad Rais Alvi, translator and former guest professor at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. Sohail P. Ahmed has received “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon” in recognition of his dedicated contributions to strengthening economic relations and mutual understanding between Japan and Pakistan. Sohail Ahmed worked as the former Chairman of the Pakistan Japan Business Forum (PJBF) for about 8 years from May 2012 to April 2020. His contribution would be greatly remembered in terms of support and facilitating technical agreement in the automobile industry between Japanese and Pakistani companies. Under Mr. Ahmed’s initiative, when he founded Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufactures (PAAPAM), he essentially created a comfortable business environment for the Japanese companies to grow in and emerge as key players in the automobile industry. Meanwhile, Professor Mohammad Rais Alvi has received “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette,” in recognition of his dedicated contributions for promoting cultural relations and mutual understanding between Japan and Pakistan. Professor Alvi has worked consistently towards the advancement of sociocultural ties between Japan and Pakistan. Professor Alvi also played a significant role in the introduction and promotion of both the Urdu language and Pakistani culture in Japan. He is the co-author of an Urdu language textbook published in 1987 in collaboration with the esteemed Professor Takeshi Suzuki. Later, working with Professor Reiko Umemoto in 2007, Professor Alvi published a book introducing Urdu “Ghazals” (poems) and Pakistani poets in the Japanese language and to a Japanese audience.
