CPEC phase-II puts private sector at the heart of Pakistan’s growth push

Mettis Link News reported that Pakistan is seeking export-led growth and more private investment under the second phase of CPEC. The government has placed business-to-business ties, industrial development, farm modernisation and technology at the centre of the next stage. The plan forms part of the CPEC Action Plan for 2025 to 2029, and ministries have been told to speed up agreed priorities.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said the private sector must lead in turning Phase-II opportunities into economic activity, while the state provides an enabling environment. He argued that export growth and capital inflows should take priority over political clashes. He also called exports a national emergency and linked the $100 billion target for 2035 to the country's survival. Phase-I brought roughly $25 billion of Chinese money and added close to 8,000 megawatts to generation capacity.

The Growth Corridor is meant to lift industrial and farm capacity for exports, while the Livelihood Corridor supports less-developed regions, and the Innovation Corridor, linked to E-Pakistan, is designed to expand IT skills among young people. Officials plan to dispatch 1,000 farm specialists to China so they can train in modern agricultural methods. Iqbal added that political instability is something the country cannot bear while it pursues reform.