Ahsan Iqbal reviews progress of CPEC Action Plan
Islamabad: 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 CPEC Phase-I brought around USD 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 modernisation, 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.’
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 USD 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.
