The Dhabeji special economic zone (SEZ) under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in southern Pakistan's Sindh province will offer over 200,000 direct and indirect job opportunities, Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has said.

The SEZ is being developed through a private partner at a cost of 18 billion rupees (over 102 million U.S. dollars) to provide "plug and play" facilities to the investors within the next five years, the chief minister said on Tuesday, while speaking at the signing ceremony of a concession agreement for the SEZ development.

He said that the CPEC has achieved significant milestones through joint efforts of the governments, enterprises, and people of both countries, according to a statement by the chief minister's office.

"The first phase of the CPEC, which focused on energy and infrastructure projects, met its successful completion and now the second phase is set to boost Pak-China cooperation in agriculture and initiate an era of industrialization through the establishment of Special Economic Zones," he said.

He added that the SEZ is one of the priority projects of the CPEC for the provincial government because it will strengthen industrial cooperation between Pakistan and China besides enhancing trade with Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

The project will facilitate potential investors of China and other countries to establish new enterprises or transfer their facilities to the special economic zone, he added.