Pakistan, Japan eye next chapter in minerals science

May 19, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan and Japan are in ongoing technical discussions over expanded cooperation in advanced analytical sciences, laboratory methodologies, and scientific capacity development in the geosciences sector.

Pakistan is working to overhaul what officials described as primitive exploration and extraction methods currently in use across the country's mining industry.

The talks between the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) were confirmed during a visit by Japan's Ambassador to Pakistan, H.E. Akamatsu Shuichi, to the Geoscience Advance Research Laboratories (GARL) in Islamabad.

Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik hosted the delegation during the visit.

GARL, a specialized facility under the Geological Survey of Pakistan, was originally established with direct support from the Japanese government and JICA a partnership that now forms the basis for the two sides' push toward a deeper phase of scientific engagement covering laboratory workflows and technical training, according to the press release.

Pakistan's petroleum minister said the country was committed to replacing outdated practices in its mining and mineral industry with advanced technologies, with the stated goals of sustainable development, improved productivity, and greater value addition showing a policy shift in how Islamabad intends to approach its largely underexploited mineral resource base.

The Japanese Ambassador, for his part, reaffirmed Tokyo's interest in continued technical cooperation and scientific exchange in the geoscience sector, with both sides expressing satisfaction over the current trajectory of GSP-JICA engagement.

During the visit, a documentary on the history, modernization, and current capabilities of GARL was screened, followed by a walkthrough of its laboratory sections and direct interaction with GSP scientists.

Senior officials from Pakistan's Petroleum Division, the Geological Survey of Pakistan, the Embassy of Japan, and the JICA Pakistan Office attended the meeting.

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