Ahsan reviews progress on implementation of CPEC Action Plan for 2025–29

Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal told a review meeting that the first phase of CPEC brought around USD 25 billion of Chinese investment and added nearly 8,000 megawatts to power generation. Business Recorder reported that he credited the project with easing the energy shortage and bolstering energy security. The meeting reviewed first-year progress on the CPEC Action Plan for 2025 to 2029, finalised during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's August 2025 China visit.

He said Phase-II priorities align with the URAAN Pakistan agenda through five corridors: Growth, Livelihood, Innovation, Green Economy and Openness. The Growth corridor aims to lift industrial and farm capacity for exports, while Livelihood targets social development in less developed regions. The Innovation corridor, tied to E-Pakistan, will strengthen IT skills among young Pakistanis. The Green Economy corridor covers resilience to climate change, protecting water and food supplies, and farm modernisation.

Iqbal also outlined a plan to train 1,000 farm specialists in China, aimed at building a Green Revolution 2.0 on better seeds, mechanisation and efficient irrigation. He said the private sector should take the lead, calling export growth a national emergency and setting a USD 100 billion goal for 2035. He also warned that political instability is something the country cannot tolerate while reshaping its economy.