PESHAWAR, Dec 18 (APP): Strategically located in South Asia, Pakistan’s Khyber Pakthunkhwa province is going to widely benefited from multifaceted China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project (CPEC) following construction of gigantic road projects.
To link southern districts of KP with Hakla-Yarik-DI Khan Motorway (M-14) which is a flagship connectivity project under western aliment of CPEC, Pakhtunkhwa Highways Authority (PkHA) has issued a tender for a 42.3 km link road connecting the Bannu Link Road (N-55) with the M-14 Motorway.
PkHA Spokesman told APP that the project will be constructed under Public Private Partnership (PPP-model) aims to give residents of Bannu, Karak, Lakki Marwat and nearby areas faster, safer access to the national motorway network.
Bannu Link Road will not only boost regional mobility, trade and investment but integrate southern KP with major routes leading to Islamabad and Punjab, building on the improved connectivity already provided by the M-14 Motorway.
He said the private partner will undertake financing, construction and operation of the project, while the authority may extend viability-gap funding and other support.
The southern belt of KP would receive the same modern connectivity available to other parts of the country, he said, adding that the project would help improve mobility and boost regional trade and investment.
Upon completion of this project, he said travel in the region will become smoother and effective connectivity of the southern districts with the national highway and motorway network will be possible.
The project aims not only to provide the public with modern travel facilities, but also to support regional trade and economic activity.
By opening the 285-kilometre high-speed link, travel time between Islamabad and southern KP was drastically reduced and journeys that once took roughly five hours or more via older roads can now be completed in about three hours.
‘CPEC is a game changer project that is going to largely benefit all provinces including Khyber Pakthunkhwa in terms of fast track communication services besides bolstering regional connectivity,” said Professor Dr Zialakat Malik, former Chairman, Economics Department at University of Peshawar.
Talking to APP, he said southern districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa are blessed with mineral resources besides carrying vast lands for agriculture and fruits orchard to fully utilized following construction of the N-55 Bannu link road.
He said on September 26 last, the 14th meeting of CPEC Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) was held in Beijing which represented a historic shift in bilateral and economic cooperation between Pakistan and China.
He said that it signaled the evolution of CPEC from an infrastructure-led initiative to a comprehensive and productivity-driven development partnership between the two brotherly countries.
Dr Zialkat said it marked the consolidation of a new development philosophy for Pakistan that merges connectivity with competitiveness, industrial modernization with human development and physical assets with climate resilience.
“CPEC has stood as the flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for over 10 years and a pillar of the all-weather Pakistan-China strategic relationship,” he said, adding Phase-I has successfully resolved Pakistan’s acute energy deficit, upgraded road and logistics networks, and built the foundational infrastructure for economic activities.
He said with the launch of Phase-II, both countries now enter a qualitatively new phase aligned with President Xi Jinping’s emphasis on high-quality development and Pakistan’s national transformation roadmap, URAAN Pakistan, anchored in the 5Es Framework will open gates of economic and industrial development.
Professor Dr Zialkat said that China is preparing its 15th Five-Year Plan, while Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning is drafting the 13th Five-Year Plan, adding both frameworks converge on core themes such as industrial upgrading, innovation ecosystems, digital transformation, renewable energy, green growth, modern agriculture, rural revitalization and people-centred development, adding this structural alignment provides CPEC 2.0 with clarity, purpose and long-term continuity.
Dr Malik said that Pakistan’s approach is 5Es Framework ie Exports, E-Pakistan and Innovation, Energy and Infrastructure Efficiency, Environment and Climate Resilience and Equity and Empowerment, adding CPEC 2.0 advances these through five corridors such as growth, livelihood, innovation, green and openness corridors.
“The convergence of 5Es and 5Cs defines a unified mission to steer Pakistan from a consumption-driven, low-productivity economy toward a high-productivity, export-oriented, innovation-led, climate-resilient growth trajectory.”
He said CPEC 2.0’s Growth Corridor is tightly aligned with Pakistan’s export pillar, aiming to transition from low-value domestic production to high-value global integration while China’s 15th Five-Year Plan emphasizes industrial relocation and advanced manufacturing across BRI economies.
He said Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) including Rashakai, Dhabeji, Bostan and Allama Iqbal are strategically placed to attract Chinese and international investors in textiles, electronics, engineering goods, automobile parts and agro-processing.
Under URAAN Pakistan, the forthcoming Pakistan Export Promotion Digital Platform will digitally connect Pakistani SMEs to global buyers and e-commerce markets, reducing intermediaries and boosting competitiveness. This shift is essential for Pakistan’s ambition of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2035, anchored in export-led growth and productivity enhancement.
The Innovation Corridor aligns with URAAN’s E-Pakistan pillar to build a modern, knowledge-based economy while cooperation now extends to Artificial Intelligence and cloud computing; 5G and next-generation connectivity; fintech and digital payment systems; mart governance solutions; university–industry research partnerships; and science parks, incubators and startup ecosystems.
For Pakistan, he said these initiatives offer the possibility of leapfrogging multiple stages of technological development and entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution with stronger capabilities, enhanced human capital, and improved global competitiveness.
While referring to Green Corridor plus Energy Transition, he said CPEC 2.0 incorporates the BRI’s Green Development vision and supports Pakistan’s transition towards clean, low-carbon growth.
Key interventions includes utility-scale solar and wind projects, hydropower expansion, energy storage, smart grids and distributed systems. promotion of electric vehicles. climate-resilient agriculture and water management, and disaster warning systems and environmental resilience technologies.
The experts said Pakistan, among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, views renewable energy not only as an economic necessity but a national survival priority. China’s technological leadership and Pakistan’s renewable potential lay the foundation for a more secure, affordable and sustainable energy future.
Regarding livelihood corridor plus equity & empowerment, he said One of the defining features of CPEC 2.0 is its strong focus on inclusive development and human welfare. Livelihood-focused programmes support relates to technical and vocational training for youth. improved primary healthcare and rural medical access. clean drinking water and sanitation services, modernised agriculture, value chain integration, and farmer income enhancement; smart agriculture zones and demonstration farms; and women-focused livelihood and skills initiatives.
These projects reduce regional disparities, enhance incomes, strengthen human security, and embed social protection into economic growth. Every school upgrade, training centre and rural development project deepens the people-centred character of the Pakistan-China partnership.
He said openness corridor accelerates Pakistan’s integration into regional and global supply chains. Its scope includes Gwadar Port development and the blue economy. enhanced customs and trade facilitation, cross-border e-commerce and digital trade, tourism and cultural exchanges and academic partnerships and people-to-people exchanges.
The experts said that agricultural modernization is also a major focus introducing mechanization, high-yield seeds, water-efficient technologies and advanced farming practices essential for Pakistan’s food security and rural transformation.
Gwadar’s evolution into a Smart Port positions Pakistan as a connectivity hub linking Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. CPEC 2.0 directly supports Pakistan’s progress on key global commitments, including SDG 7 (Energy), SDG 8 (Jobs), SDG 9 (Industry & Innovation), SDG 10 (Inequality Reduction), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Tangible results are already emerging.
To sustain momentum, Pakistan is strengthening coordination mechanisms, ensuring transparency and merit-based execution, improving monitoring and evaluation and reinforcing regulatory stability to attract FDI and enable public–private partnerships.
As Pakistan and China approach the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026, CPEC 2.0 marks a profound evolution. The 14th JCC has laid the foundation for a new era of cooperation – deeper, broader and more people-centred. The shared mission is clear: convert connectivity into competitiveness, growth into prosperity and partnership into shared destiny.
