Press release

DECORATION CONFERMENT CEREMONY HELD AT THE EMBASSY OF JAPAN

PRESS RELEASE N0: JPNEMPAK 14-33

Islamabad: 27 May 2014

H.E. Mr. Hiroshi Inomata, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, conferred today Japan’s distinguished decoration, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, upon Nawabzada Fazal Karim Afridi in a conferment ceremony held at the official residence of the Ambassador.

On April 29, 2014, the Government of Japan announced the foreign recipients of the 2014 Spring Imperial Decorations. Among 55 foreign recipients was Nawabzada Fazal Karim Afridi, Honorary Consul General of Japan in Peshawar, who received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, in recognition of his significant contributions to promoting exchanges and friendly relations between Japan and Pakistan, and to Japan’s economic and development assistance in the border region with Afghanistan.

Ambassador Hiroshi Inomata deeply congratulated Nawabzada Fazal Karim Afridi for being decorated with the prestigious decorations by the Government of Japan for his significant contributions in promoting Japan-Pakistan relations.

Ambassador Inomata in his congratulatory remarks said “on behalf of the Government of Japan, I would like to take this opportunity to extend highest appreciation for his dedication to Japan”.

Ambassador Hiroshi Inomata expressed his hope that Mr. Afridi will make continued efforts to further strengthen Japan-Pakistan bilateral relations.

•DECORATION: The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon
•SERVICE: Contributed to promoting exchanges and friendly relations between Japan and Pakistan, and to Japan’s economic and development assistance in the border region with Afghanistan
•NAME (AGE): Nawabzada Fazal Karim Afridi (58)
•MAJOR TITLES:
◦ Honorary Consul General of Japan in Peshawar
◦ Chief Executive, Learning Awareness & Motivation Programme (NGO)
•ADDRESS: Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan

Nawabzada Fazal Karim Afridi was born to a family of Afridi Tribe chief in the Tirah Valley, the Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA), on 5th November, 1955. The Afridi is an influential tribe in the Pashtun community which stretches across FATA Khyber Agency and Afghanistan. In October 1981, he was employed by the Afghan Refugee Organization of the government of the then North West Frontier Province, and had engaged in assistance for the Afghan refugees in Pakistan for many years. During his career as a refugee assistance official, he and the Embassy of Japan in Pakistan had a chance to have associations with. Since then, Nawabzada Fazal Karim Afridi has dedicated himself to protect Japanese nationals in Pakistan. In 2004, he was appointed as Honorary Consul General of Japan in Peshawar, and has continued his tremendous efforts in ensuring safety of Japanese nationals. At the same time, his contribution to Japan has also extended in terms of promoting Japanese culture. Through his activities as chief executive of Learning Awareness & Motivation Programme (LAMP), a local NGO, Nawabzada Fazal Karim Afridi has been instrumental in implementing Japan’s economic and development assistance in FATA. (END)