Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal says Islamabad failed to fully benefit from CPEC, pins some blame on political instability
Pakistan’s Planning Minister, Ahsan Iqbal, has made a rare and blunt admission: the country “dropped the catch” on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a major $60 billion infrastructure initiative under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Speaking at the DataFest Conference, Iqbal said that Pakistan missed key opportunities under CPEC and that political controversies — especially during the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government — harmed Chinese investor confidence.
He added that “we also have dropped the catch of game-changer CPEC,” using a cricket metaphor to describe the failure. According to him, skewed political narratives and instability led to Chinese investors withdrawing.
Despite this self-critique, Iqbal reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to CPEC Phase II, calling it a “symbol of iron-clad Pakistan–China friendship.” He highlighted future plans, including linking Balochistan’s mineral-rich areas to Gwadar port and boosting business-to-business cooperation.
