Ahsan Calls for Private Sector’s Leading Role in Realizing CPEC Phase-II Potential
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal stressed that the private sector should play a leading role in realizing the economic potential of CPEC Phase-II, emphasizing that Pakistan’s focus should be on economic growth, exports, and investment rather than political confrontation.
Chairing a detailed review meeting on the implementation of the CPEC Action Plan 2025-2029, finalized during Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China in August 2025, the minister reviewed progress made during the first year and discussed measures to accelerate work on agreed priorities.
Iqbal highlighted the strengthening of Pakistan-China relations during challenging periods, citing China’s crucial investment when Pakistan faced severe energy shortages.
He noted that CPEC Phase-I brought in approximately $25 billion in Chinese investment and added nearly 8,000 megawatts to Pakistan’s power generation capacity, helping to overcome the energy crisis and strengthen energy security.
The minister highlighted the development of Thar coal and the fiber-optic network as key achievements of the first phase, stating that CPEC Phase-II would build upon this foundation through:
- Business-to-business cooperation
- Industrial development
- Agricultural modernization
- Minerals
- Human capital development
- Technology
Iqbal explained that the priorities of CPEC Phase-II align closely with the five pillars of URAAN Pakistan through five corridors:
- Growth: Enhancing Pakistan’s industrial and agricultural capacity to boost exports
- Livelihood: Promoting social development and supporting less-developed regions
- Innovation: Strengthening IT capabilities and equipping millions of young people with modern technological skills
- Green Economy: Focusing on climate resilience, water and food security, and agricultural modernization
- Openness: Facilitating investment and business partnerships
He emphasized the government’s initiative to send 1,000 agricultural experts to China for training in modern agricultural technologies, aiming to create a critical mass of trained human resources and lay the foundation for a “Green Revolution 2.0”.
Iqbal stressed that the private sector must take a leading role in realizing the economic potential of CPEC Phase-II, while the government will provide an enabling environment for investment and business partnerships. He termed the expansion of exports a “national emergency”.