The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was never meant to be merely a network of roads, power plants and ports. Its greater promise is to transform Pakistan’s strategic location into economic opportunity, industrial growth and regional connectivity. As CPEC enters a new phase, the time has come to move from building infrastructure to building prosperity.
Pakistan now needs to turn connectivity into commerce, investment into industry and its young population into a skilled economic force. Gwadar can emerge as a regional gateway, Special Economic Zones can stimulate industrial activity, while agriculture, minerals, technology and exports can open new avenues of growth.
Yet the success of CPEC will ultimately depend on what happens beyond the projects themselves. Local communities must benefit, young people must gain skills, businesses must find space to grow, and policies must provide the stability investors require.
The real CPEC dividend will not be measured in kilometres of roads or billions of dollars invested. It will be measured in jobs created, exports increased, skills developed and lives improved.
CPEC has built the corridor. Now Pakistan must turn it into a catalyst for an economy that can compete, grow and prosper.
Ayesha Naveed is a contributor to The Pakistan Observer. Her opinion article examines the economic potential of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, with a focus on industrial development, employment, skills and sustainable economic growth in Pakistan.
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