By Prof. Dr. Taimoor ul Hassan
Can Pakistan’s creative industries be more than just cultural showcases? Can they be transformed into serious economic drivers, particularly when aligned with the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)? These are not merely speculative questions, but critical inquiries into how Pakistan can chart a more diversified and resilient economic future.
As Pakistan struggles with economic instability, limited exports, and high youth unemployment, traditional sectors such as textiles and agriculture are no longer sufficient. The services sector has expanded, but within it, the creative industries —encompassing film, music, design, media, crafts, and digital content —remain underdeveloped, underfinanced, and often overlooked. Yet, globally, the creative economy is valued at over $2.25 trillion, employing more than 30 million people. Why has Pakistan, with its rich cultural heritage and youthful population, failed to tap into this global boom?
“Pakistan lacks a national creative economy policy or a central institution to support creative entrepreneurs”
Enter CPEC, the much-heralded flagship project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. With its massive infrastructure investments, trade corridors, and digital connectivity projects, could CPEC offer a unique opportunity to integrate and uplift Pakistan’s creative sectors? Can roads, ports, and fibre optic cables be leveraged not just for industrial goods, but also for the export of ideas, art, design, and digital experiences?
In its first phase, CPEC focused heavily on infrastructure, energy, and transport. But as CPEC enters its second phase, emphasizing industrial cooperation, digital connectivity, and socio-economic development, new sectors, including creative industries, may find a seat at the table. Minister Ahsan Iqbal recently stated that CPEC Phase Two “aims to enhance technologies, create job opportunities and ensure food security,” with an ambitious goal of training 200,000 youth annually in IT skills, and boosting exports from $30 billion to $100 billion. But what portion of this vision includes creative exports, in film, design, digital content, or fashion?
A critical missing piece is policy clarity. Pakistan lacks a national creative economy policy or a central institution to support creative entrepreneurs. Where are the incentives for filmmakers, designers, musicians, and animators? Where are the creative hubs that can serve as incubators of talent, particularly in cities connected to CPEC routes, such as Lahore, Karachi, Gwadar, and Peshawar? Without infrastructure tailored to creative work, such as studios, performance spaces, digital labs, and reliable internet, how can this sector compete regionally or globally?
Moreover, creative output often struggles with censorship, weak intellectual property rights, and limited access to finance. Many creative professionals operate in the informal sector, disconnected from banks, investors, and export markets. Can these barriers be overcome through strategic alignment with CPEC-enabled Special Economic Zones? Could Gwadar host a Creative Free Zone? Could Lahore or Karachi develop export-ready media and design clusters, linked through CPEC’s upgraded logistics?
International models offer useful insights. South Korea’s global cultural dominance through K-pop, cinema, and digital gaming did not emerge by accident. It was the result of targeted government investment, international distribution networks, and a long-term strategy to position culture as a key export. Could Pakistan imagine a similar path, one where cultural products are not just by-products of society, but primary contributors to economic growth and global influence?
Likewise, China itself has heavily invested in its creative economy, from film studios in Qingdao to the thriving gaming sector in Shenzhen. Joint media and film co-productions under the CPEC cultural cooperation framework are possible, but are Pakistani producers and artists ready, and are there platforms to facilitate such ventures? Is there a long-term vision to connect Pakistani creative content with Chinese and broader Asian markets via digital platforms like Tencent Video, WeChat, or TikTok?
Another dimension is tourism, often driven by cultural heritage, arts, and storytelling. As CPEC opens new routes and accessibility, particularly in northern areas and Balochistan, can Pakistan promote cultural tourism, underpinned by locally made films, crafts, music, and festivals? What frameworks exist to ensure that local communities benefit from these opportunities, and that their cultural products are protected and fairly monetized?
It is also important to ask, who are the stakeholders? Is the private sector willing to invest in creative industries as viable business ventures, not just philanthropic or cultural endeavors? Is the education system ready to equip youth with skills in design thinking, digital production, animation, and creative entrepreneurship? Are universities, such as NCA, BNU, or IVS, integrated into national economic planning? Are state banks offering financing options tailored to the needs of creative start-ups?
At a deeper level, there is the issue of value recognition. Does Pakistan see its creative sectors as legitimate contributors to GDP, exports, and employment? Or are they still seen as fringe sectors, marginal, elite, or entertainment-focused? Without data on how much the creative industries contribute to Pakistan’s economy, how can informed policy be made? Mapping the sector, quantifying its economic impact, and identifying bottlenecks should be urgent priorities.
Minister Ahsan Iqbal has repeatedly stressed the need for Pakistan to embrace knowledge-based, technology-driven growth. He envisions CPEC as a catalyst for this shift. Yet the question remains, is creativity part of this knowledge economy, or has it been sidelined in favour of heavy industry and tech services alone?
Pakistan’s creative industries hold immense potential to generate youth employment, enhance exports, and project a positive global image. But realizing this potential requires more than optimism; it demands coherent policies, strategic investments, and institutional support. CPEC, if approached innovatively, can serve as both a logistical and financial bridge for creative sectors to thrive.
So, can creative industries drive Pakistan’s economy along CPEC? The answer is conditional; they can — but only if Pakistan reimagines creativity, not as cultural ornamentation, but as a cornerstone of economic strategy. The time for that reimagination is now.
In a nutshell, there is a provocative question whether Pakistan’s creative industries, like film and design, can leverage the $62 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to boost an economy struggling with 25% inflation and 1.9% growth, as noted in a 2025 Asian Development Bank report.
CPEC’s second phase, focusing on digital connectivity and industrial zones, offers a potential framework to integrate creative sectors, drawing inspiration from South Korea’s K-pop success, which generated $12.3 billion in exports in 2023 per a Korea Creative Content Agency study.
Lack of a national creative economy policy and weak intellectual property rights in Pakistan, as outlined in the British Council’s 2020 report, hinder progress, contrasting with China’s $300 billion creative industry investment, suggesting a missed opportunity for CPEC synergy.
Prof. Dr. Taimoor ul Hassan is a media scholar and former Dean of the School of Media and Mass Communication at Beaconhouse National University (BNU) and the University of Central Punjab (UCP). He has extensive academic and administrative experience in media policy, communication reform, and digital innovation. Dr. Taimoor has represented Pakistan in international media forums, and his research focuses on media education, creative industries, and the intersection of technology and society. He is currently serving as Professor of Mass Communication at UCP.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this article/Opinion/Comment are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the DND Thought Center and Dispatch News Desk (DND). Assumptions made within the analysis are not reflective of the position of the DND Thought Center and Dispatch News Desk.
