JICA President Tanaka Visits Pakistan, Reviews Faisalabad Water Project, Explores Future ODA Loan Cooperation

Islamabad — Dr. TANAKA Akihiko, President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is undertaking his first official visit to Pakistan — the first such visit by a JICA President since 2020. During the mission, Dr. Tanaka is holding meetings with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Chief Minister of Punjab, and other senior government officials, alongside site visits to key JICA-supported development projects.
JICA has been a partner in Pakistan’s development for more than 70 years, supporting sectors including education, health, disaster management, gender equality, governance, private sector development, ICT, and infrastructure such as roads and power networks — guided by its vision of “Leading the world with trust.”
A central highlight of the visit is Dr. Tanaka’s tour of the Faisalabad Water Supply Improvement Project — one of Japan’s flagship urban infrastructure initiatives in Pakistan. Faisalabad, the country’s third-largest city, has long struggled to meet rising demand for safe drinking water amid rapid population growth and urbanization.
To address this, JICA supported development of the Faisalabad Water Supply, Sewerage and Drainage Master Plan (2016–2019), mapping a roadmap for sustainable services through 2038. Building on this, JICA extended grant aid of JPY 4.094 billion for the “Project for the Improvement of Water Treatment Plant and Water Distribution System in Faisalabad.” Under this project, the Old Jhal Khanuana (Old JK) Water Treatment Plant — with a capacity of 5 million gallons per day — was constructed along with upgraded transmission and distribution facilities. Operational since April 2025, the plant has significantly boosted safe water access in the city.
During his visit, Dr. Tanaka toured the Old JK plant, which may see further expansion under a potential Japanese ODA Loan currently being considered. He also observed digital transformation (DX) initiatives improving operational efficiency in distribution, and met households benefiting from the improved water services.
JICA said the Faisalabad experience will serve as a model for replicating similar urban water-supply improvements in other Pakistani cities, and reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Government of Pakistan — including through Japanese ODA loans — to improve quality of life and strengthen bilateral trust and cooperation.