ISLAMABAD: Pakistan plans to develop five economic corridors to ensure sustainable national growth and create better opportunities for its citizens, according to reports from Pakistani and Chinese state media, quoting newly appointed Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal during a recent ministerial meeting.
The initiative will unfold under the multibillion-dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that was launched about a decade ago for infrastructure development in the South Asian country while striving for greater regional connectivity.
“Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal has directed to expedite the implementation of CPEC project as no further hindrance will be tolerated,” the state-owned Radio Pakistan reported. “He was chairing a meeting to initiate work on the five new corridors in the second phase of CPEC.”
According to China’s Xinhua news agency, the minister plans to develop economic corridors of job creation, innovation, green energy and inclusive regional development.
During the meeting, he highlighted the significance of the Gwadar port that is jointly developed by the Pakistani and Chinese authorities to be the primary maritime gateway connecting Pakistan with the Central Asia and the rest of the region.
“The development of Gwadar port and its associated free zone is expected to attract foreign investment, stimulate economic activities and create job opportunities in the region,” Xinhua quoted him as saying.
He also mentioned an increase in Pakistani exports to the Chinese markets, asking the meeting participants to devise a strategy to enhance them further.
“Immediate research should be conducted with the help of experts to determine which sectors Pakistan can promote its exports to China,” he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has already highlighted his government’s interest in operationalizing special economic zones under CPEC to attract more foreign investment to Pakistan.
Pakistan’s planning minister announces development of five economic corridors for sustainable growth
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Pakistan’s planning minister announces development of five economic corridors for sustainable growth
- Ahsan Iqbal says the corridors will be for employment, innovation, green energy and inclusive regional development
- He has also asked experts to survey various economic sectors that can help the country boost its exports to China
Death toll in Pakistan wedding suicide blast rises to six
- Attack targeted members of local peace committee in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan
- Peace committees are community-based groups that report militant activity to security forces
PESHAWAR: The death toll from a suicide bombing at a wedding ceremony in northwestern Pakistan rose to six, police said on Saturday, after funeral prayers were held for those killed in the attack a day earlier.
The bomber detonated explosives during a wedding gathering in the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, injuring more than a dozen, some of them critically.
“The death toll has surged to six,” said Nawab Khan, Superintendent of Police for Saddar Dera Ismail Khan. “Police have completed the formalities and registered the case against unidentified attackers.”
“It was a suicide attack and the Counter Terrorism Department will further investigate the case,” he continued, adding that security had been stepped up across the district to prevent further incidents.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.
Khan cautioned against speculation, citing ongoing militancy in the area, and said the investigation was being treated with “utmost seriousness.”
The explosion targeted the home of a member of a local peace committee, which is part of community-based groups that cooperate with security forces and whose members have frequently been targeted by militants in the past.
Some media reports also cited a death toll of seven, quoting police authorities.
Emergency officials said several of the wounded were taken to hospital soon after the blast.
Militant attacks have intensified in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the Taliban returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021, with Islamabad accusing Afghan authorities of “facilitating” cross-border assaults, a charge Kabul denies.
