The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has entered into the second phase of the Long-Term Plan (LTP) after the successful completion of the Early Harvest Program (EHP). Some of the EHP projects will be completed next year. The EHP was launched in 2015 and an amazing progress was achieved within 32 months. Some of the projects were completed with an exemplary speed and even faster than the similar projects completed in China and other countries. The CPEC’s EHP gave a positive image of governance, transparency, and early completion of projects and regarded CPEC’s projects as truly a flagship of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and set out new benchmarks for Pakistan and to the outside world.
On 18 December Minister of Planning, Development, and Reform, Ahsan Iqbal revealed the 26-page Long-Term Plan of the CPEC. The plan was approved by the 7th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on 21 November at Islamabad. The plan touched upon all important sectors of the economy that included connectivity with road and rail infrastructure, information network, energy, trade, industrial parks, agriculture, poverty alleviation, and tourism with a focus on maritime tourism across the Keti-Bander-Karachi, Sonmiani-Ormara, Jhal Jhao, Gwadar, Gadani, and Jiwani routes.
