BEIJING: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Friday expressed confidence that the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Phase-II would serve as an engine of next-level regional connectivity and economic growth.
“Today’s deliberations confirm that CPEC Phase-II will be the engine that drives the next stage of our partnership and growth, aligning its five corridors - growth, innovation, green, livelihood, and regional connectivity - with Pakistan’s 5Es framework of exports, e-Pakistan, energy and environment, and equity and empowerment,” he said.
He was delivering closing remarks at the 14th meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of CPEC, co-chaired with Chairman of China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Zheng Shanjie. The minister said the session had reaffirmed the two countries’ shared vision and set an ambitious roadmap for Phase-II. The meeting was attended by ministers, senior officials, line ministries and experts from both sides.
Ahsan to discuss CPEC Phase-II projects at JCC meeting today
Ahsan Iqbal, who has co-chaired 11 of the 14 JCC meetings so far, said he had witnessed CPEC’s evolution “from an idea on paper into a monumental reality.”
“We have agreed to transform CPEC into a corridor of industrialization, technology, sustainability and shared prosperity,” he said, adding that this convergence was anchored in an action plan signed during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit and reinforced through understandings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li in September 2025.
“That plan, together with today’s consensus, lays out a comprehensive agenda covering industrial cooperation, special economic zones, modern agriculture, maritime development, mining, technology and major connectivity projects such as ML-1, KKH and Gwadar,” he said.
He added that CPEC 2.0 would create real opportunities for youth, researchers, entrepreneurs and workers, while stressing the urgency of the Main Line-1 railway project and the realignment of the Karakoram Highway (KKH). “The KKH realignment necessitated by a major hydropower dam will preserve uninterrupted connectivity between our nations,” he noted.
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