The Federal Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal chaired a detailed review meeting to assess progress on the implementation of the CPEC Action Plan for 2025–2029, finalized during Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to China in August 2025. The meeting reviewed progress during the first year of implementation and discussed measures to accelerate work on agreed priorities.
While reviewing the meeting Ahsan Iqbal said that Pakistan-China relations had grown stronger during difficult periods, recalling China’s critical investment when Pakistan faced severe energy shortages. He said CPEC Phase-I brought around $25 billion in Chinese investment and added nearly 8,000 megawatts to Pakistan’s electricity generation capacity, helping overcome the energy crisis and strengthen energy security. He highlighted the development of Thar coal and the fiber-optic network as key achievements, saying CPEC Phase-II would build on this foundation through business-to-business cooperation, industrial development, agricultural modernization, minerals, human capital and technology.
He said the priorities of CPEC Phase-II were closely aligned with the five pillars of URAAN Pakistan , particularly through its five corridors— Growth, Livelihood, Innovation, Green Economy and Openness .
He said that the Growth Corridor would enhance Pakistan’s industrial and agricultural capacity to boost exports, while the Livelihood Corridor would promote social development and support less-developed regions. The Innovation Corridor, aligned with E-Pakistan, would strengthen IT capabilities and equip millions of young people with modern technological skills. “Our young population is Pakistan’s greatest economic asset,” he said. The Green Economy Corridor would focus on climate resilience, water and food security, and agricultural modernization.
He highlighted the government’s initiative to send 1,000 agricultural experts to China for training in modern agricultural technologies. He said the programme would help create a critical mass of trained human resources and lay the foundation for a “ Green Revolution 2.0 ”, supported by improved seeds, farm mechanization, efficient water use and climate-resilient crops.
Ahsan Iqbal stressed that the private sector must play a leading role in realizing CPEC Phase-II’s economic potential, with the government providing an enabling environment for investment and business partnerships. He said expanding exports was a “ national emergency ”, with the target of $100 billion by 2035 essential for economic survival. He called for stronger government-private sector cooperation to enhance competitiveness and establish “ Made in Pakistan ” as a globally recognized brand, while directing ministries to ensure timely implementation of the CPEC Phase-II action plan.
He stressed that Pakistan cannot afford political instability while pursuing economic transformation. He said recent strategic and diplomatic successes must be converted into economic gains through national unity, reforms and better governance. “For Pakistan’s future and a better tomorrow for our youth, we cannot compromise on the country’s economic development,” he said. “ Pakistan does not need to heat its roads; Pakistan needs to heat its economy ,” he stressed, urging all political forces to focus on strengthening the economy and building a self-reliant, export-driven Pakistan.
