ISLAMABAD, Jan 5: Japan will formally announce the resumption of its annual assistance to Pakistan soon, said an official of the finance ministry.

He told Dawn here on Wednesday that consultations with the Japanese government were under way and there were indications that Tokyo might resume its annual assistance.

However, he explained that no exact figure of the aid has so far emerged. "The issue of amount will be decided by the Japanese government," he said.

Japan had been offering roughly $500 million assistance annually under yen package loan in the past. But the assistance was discontinued when Pakistan decided to go nuclear in 1998.