Islamabad : The Government of Japan has conferred the 2020 Autumn Imperial Decorations, “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays” upon Zafar Mahmood, visiting Professor at the Department of Japanese Language, National University of Modern Languages (NUML) Islamabad, in recognition of his significant contribution towards the promotion of Japanese language in Pakistan and strengthening friendly relations between Japan and Pakistan.
Matsuda Kuninori, the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, on behalf of the Government of Japan, on February 9, conferred the imperial decoration ‘The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays’ upon Zafar Mahmood.
The conferral ceremony was held at his official residence with limited participants of family and close friends of the decoration recipient, while taking infection prevention measures against COVID-19.
Zafar Mahmood’s ties with Japan began when he started his studies in the Nagoya University through a scholarship programme offered by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan in 1979. After graduation, he extended his stay for over 10 years working for NEC. In 2000, he joined the MEXT Alumni Association of Pakistan (MAAP) and has been working to promote educational exchanges between Japan and Pakistan. He also assisted the Embassy of Japan select talented Pakistani youth for future MEXT scholarship students and provided pre-departure sessions for the selected students.
He also contributed greatly to the promotion of the Japanese language in Pakistan. As a visiting professor, he taught in the Japanese Language Department of the National University of Modern Languages.
