Mian Zahid Hussain, President of the Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum and Chairman of the National Business Group Pakistan, has emphasized the transformative potential of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Phase II in reshaping Pakistan’s economic future.
He noted that while the first phase of CPEC helped resolve Pakistan’s energy shortages and laid down major infrastructure, the second phase marks a shift toward industrial cooperation, technological advancement, and sustainable development. This evolution, he said, could drive Pakistan toward becoming a self-reliant industrial and agricultural economy focused on exports and knowledge-based growth.
Hussain highlighted the growing importance of Special Economic Zones, including Rashakai and Allama Iqbal Industrial City, which are expected to attract foreign investment, accelerate technology transfer, and generate millions of skilled jobs by 2030. Strengthening high-value industries and offering incentives to Chinese investors, he added, will help Pakistan build stronger links to global value chains.
He also underscored agriculture’s critical role in the country’s economy, contributing 25% to GDP and employing 37% of the workforce. With modernized irrigation and precision farming under CPEC Phase II, Hussain predicted a new era of agricultural productivity and enhanced export competitiveness.
Praising the alignment of CPEC II with Pakistan’s “Five Es” — Export, Energy, Equity, Environment, and Education — Hussain drew attention to initiatives like the Livelihood and Green Corridors that support inclusive and environmentally sustainable development.
To ensure long-term success, he called for stable economic policies, improved utilities in SEZs, streamlined joint-venture regulations, and expanded vocational training. Collaboration between government, industry, and academia, he stressed, will be key to positioning Pakistan as a regional center of trade and manufacturing.
