FAISALABAD: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President Tanaka Akihiko came to visit Pakistan to review achievements in Pakistan and explore future cooperation, including Japanese ODA loan. The visit will continue till August 5.
This is Dr Tanaka’s first official visit to Pakistan and the first by a JICA president since 2020. During the visit, Dr. Tanaka will conduct site visits to JICA-supported projects and meet with the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister of Punjab, and senior government officials.
As the implementing agency for Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA), JICA has supported Pakistan’s development for more than 70 years. Guided by its vision of “Leading the world with trust”, JICA has contributed to sustainable development across a wide range of sectors, including education, health, disaster management, gender, governance, private sector development and ICT, as well as infrastructure such as roads and electricity networks.
The visit will also to review the project sites under the Faisalabad Water Supply Improvement Project, one of Japan’s flagship urban infrastructure initiatives in Pakistan. Faisalabad, Pakistan’s third-largest city has long faced challenges in meeting growing demand for safe drinking water due to rapid population growth and urban expansion.
To address these challenges, JICA supported the formulation of “the Faisalabad Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Master Plan” between 2016 and 2019, which established a roadmap for sustainable water and sanitation services through 2038. Building on the Master Plan,
JICA provided grant aid totalling JPY 4.094 billion for “The Project for the Improvement of Water Treatment Plant and Water Distribution System in Faisalabad”. Under the project, the Old Jhal Khanuana (Old JK) Water Treatment Plant, with a treatment capacity of 5 million gallons per day was constructed, together with improvements to transmission and distribution facilities. Since its completion and the commencement of operations in April 2025, the facility has made a significant contribution to the provision of safe and sustainable water supply services in Faisalabad.
Through these visits, JICA aims to demonstrate to the people of Pakistan the tangible impact of its cooperation in the water supply sector and benefits delivered to local communities.
The experience of Faisalabad serves as a model for future improvements in urban water services, and JICA will continues to support the dissemination of similar approaches in other cities across Pakistan.
JICA remains committed to working closely with the Government of Pakistan and relevant stakeholders, including through the effective use of Japanese ODA loans, to further improve the quality of life of the Pakistani people and deepen the relationship of trust and cooperative relations between Japan and Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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