11th JCC Meeting Launches Uraan Pakistan Vision for Growth
Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal has outlined a comprehensive framework for Pakistan’s economic future under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Speaking in Beijing after chairing the 11th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting, he confirmed that a mineral corridor will be developed to link Balochistan’s resources with Gwadar Port, paving the way for international trade.
The minister said this marks the official launch of CPEC Phase 2, which will align with the “Uraan Pakistan” vision aimed at transforming Pakistan into a trillion-dollar economy by 2035. Unlike the government-led projects of Phase 1, this new stage will emphasize business-to-business cooperation, creating a favourable environment for Chinese investment in Pakistan.
CPEC Phase 2 will focus on five key areas: expanding exports and boosting growth, leveraging Chinese technology for a digital economy, strengthening renewable energy and climate change collaboration, modernizing transport infrastructure for regional connectivity, and building the mineral corridor. Youth development remains central, with plans to send 10,000 Pakistani students for PhDs in China over the next decade in engineering, IT, and emerging sciences.
The discussions also covered cooperation in technical training, vocational education, poverty reduction, and sustainable development. Agreements were reached to accelerate the Karakoram Highway’s second phase and operationalize the mineral corridor, reinforcing Gwadar’s role as a hub of future trade and economic transformation.