Meeting seeks action plan to meet economic goals

Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has underscored the importance of leveraging the upcoming high-level engagement with China to advance business-to-business (B2B) investments, secure concrete deliverables and showcase Pakistan as an investment destination.

In this context, all ministries were urged to finalise preparations and proposals to ensure impactful outcomes from the visit.

The minister was speaking at a high-level review meeting on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects convened ahead of the mid-October Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

The meeting brought together secretaries and additional secretaries from all relevant ministries, reflecting a unified and collaborative approach towards enhancing the bilateral relationship with China.

During the session, an extensive briefing was given on the progress of ongoing CPEC projects. In anticipation of the forthcoming visit of the Chinese premier, the discussions centered on amplifying cross-sector cooperation and preparing a comprehensive action plan aimed at advancing bilateral economic and developmental goals.

Ahsan Iqbal highlighted the essential role of all ministries in the successful implementation of CPEC, emphasising that collaboration across government sectors was crucial to unlock the full potential of the flagship initiative.

He underlined the urgency of achieving substantive advancements in priority sectors such as infrastructure development, road connectivity, information technology, agriculture, industrial cooperation, education, healthcare, water resources, energy and artificial intelligence. The minister reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to deepening collaboration in those strategic areas as it signaled a shared vision for growth and modernisation between the two countries.

Reflecting on the historical context, Ahsan Iqbal reiterated that since 2013 Chinese investment and financial assistance had played an instrumental role in stabilising Pakistan's economy during challenging times.

He added that the government's recent diplomatic engagements highlighted its proactive efforts to attract foreign investment and integrate the national economy into the global value chains. Such "efforts will contribute significantly to sustainable economic growth and development".