LAHORE:

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is poised to open vast avenues for socio-economic development and regional connectivity for Afghanistan, stated Zafar Iqbal, Acting President of the Pakistan-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI), during a think-tank session held at the PCJCCI Secretariat.

He emphasised that CPEC would be a game changer for Afghanistan as it emerges as a central hub in the evolving trade and transit ecosystem in the region.

With Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and other Central Asian Republics planning to utilise Gwadar Port, Afghanistan stands to benefit immensely from transit trade, connectivity and infrastructure investment. “Afghanistan is no longer a landlocked country; with CPEC, it becomes a land-linked trade corridor between Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East,” Iqbal remarked.