New phase of CPEC set to boost employment, economic uplift: Ahsan Iqbal

Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has expressed confidence that the next 10 years of CPEC Phase-II will have a transformative impact on the lives of people.

Briefing media persons in Beijing after the 14th meeting of Pakistan-China Joint Coordination Committee, he said the CPEC Phase-II, which has formally been launched, will generate employment opportunities and bring about structural changes in Pakistan's economy, moving it towards becoming a more advanced economy.

He was confident that the outcomes of the Joint Coordination Committee meeting would further accelerate cooperation between Pakistan and China.

Iqbal said the second phase of CPEC focuses on the modernisation of Pakistan's agriculture, expansion of industrial cooperation and creation of technology partnerships. He said it will also focus on deepening people-to-people contacts.

Read: Pakistan, China to finalise roadmap for CPEC 2.0 at JCC meeting: Ahsan Iqbal

He mentioned that CPEC Phase-II envisages five corridors: the Growth Corridor, Livelihood Corridor, Innovation Corridor, Green Corridor and Opening-Up/Regional Connectivity Corridor.

He said the roadmap laid down for the second phase of CPEC is people-centric and will promote inclusive development.

Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan will develop a strong capability in the export sector performance with the Chinese experience. He said both sides have discussed creating a CPEC future skills program in IT, robotics, fintech and biotechnology, adding that climate-smart agriculture projects will be introduced for sustainable development.

He said the two countries have agreed to immediately start work on the Karakoram Highway Phase-II realignment. We will also work together on a mineral corridor in Balochistan to connect Gwadar with the minerals in the North of Balochistan. This, he emphasised, will make Gwadar port commercially very attractive.

Assuring full security for Chinese projects and workers in Pakistan, the Minister for Planning said Pakistan-China friendship is unbreakable and rooted in mutual trust. He said Pakistan and China together will foil the designs of foreign-sponsored elements who want to disrupt progress and cooperation between the two countries.