Islamabad: Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has directed the Board of Investment to initiate a strategic outreach to major Chinese economic zones. This move aims to attract experienced companies for the industrial relocation and development of Special Economic Zones in Pakistan. He issued these directives while chairing a high-level preparatory meeting of the CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee in Islamabad. The meeting was held to review progress and finalize deliverables for the upcoming 14th CPEC-JCC session.

According to Radio Pakistan, the Minister instructed all ministries to rigorously operationalize the long-term CPEC plan. He stressed the importance of ensuring that project roadmaps are aligned with sectoral priorities for effective implementation. Unified and proactive efforts across all government institutions were emphasized, with the aim of making the 14th JCC session a landmark event. This session is expected to accelerate the second phase of CPEC, contributing to a prosperous Pakistan.

The Minister highlighted that the second phase of CPEC, referred to as ‘CPEC 2.0’, is now fully integrated into the broader national transformation vision under the ‘URAAN Pakistan’ initiative. This integration is intended to catalyze economic modernization and ensure inclusive development across all regions of Pakistan.

Ahsan Iqbal also directed the Ministry of Science and Technology to study China’s advancements in science. He urged them to formulate a national scientific development agenda and identify ten high-potential export products for research and innovation. Additionally, he underscored the need to deepen business-to-business collaboration between Pakistani and Chinese companies. This collaboration aims to unlock new avenues for industrial growth, technology transfer, and job creation.