Adnan Khan is a Socio-Economic Development Specialist at the CPEC Secretariat. His work includes government-to-government engagement, project design, evaluation, coordination, and implementation oversight. He serves as the subject specialist and advisor for the CPEC-Joint Working Groups on Socio-Economic Development, Planning & CPEC-Long-Term Plan, and Gwadar. Before joining the Ministry, he worked as a Research Associate at the Centre of Excellence for CPEC, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics. During this period, he contributed to applied economic research, sectoral assessments, and policy recommendations for CPEC Phase I and Phase II. He also served as a Research Field Officer at the Social Research Unit, International Institute of Islamic Economics, and later taught economics as a Visiting Lecturer at the National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad.

 

Adnan holds an M.Phil in Economics from Quaid-i-Azam University and a BS in Economics (with Distinction) from the International Islamic University Islamabad. With over a decade of experience, he specializes in applied economic research, public policy development, project management, and socio-economic planning. He contributed to the formulation of the CPEC Long-Term Plan (2015–2030) and has played a central role in designing and implementing 27 socio-economic development interventions across Pakistan. His research focuses on CPEC-related economic transformation, sustainable urban development, institutional quality, and environmental analysis. His publications examine export competitiveness, SEZ development, environmental impacts of energy projects, urbanization patterns along the corridor, and CPEC’s role in attracting foreign investment. Selected Publications include:

 

i. How to Boost Exports Through CPEC? Applying Growth Identification and Facilitation Framework (GIFF) to Pakistan

ii. Economic Prosperity and the Role of Institutional Quality: Evidence from Selected Developing Economies

iii. Sustainable Urban Development and Special Economic Zones: Considerations for CPEC

iv. Urbanization Dynamics in Pakistan: Pre- and Post-CPEC Analysis

v. Analyzing Environmental Impacts of Coal-Fired Power Plants under CPEC

vi. Attracting Motorists to Mass Transit Systems: A Case Study from Peshawar

vii. Urban Sprawl Mapping Along CPEC Corridors

viii. Policy Imperatives for Urban Development Planning under CPEC

ix. CPEC Contribution to Pakistan’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory

x. CPEC as a Driver of FDI in Pakistan