Pakistan should first produce Y-8 and Y-9 aircraft as those have more technology fusion than this beast does, and are more modern, even with propellers. Later on, another version of the Y-8 and Y-9 can be built for civilian use, saving Pakistan billions they currently spend in buying airbuses, etc.
This would also develop a commercial and heavy aircraft production industry inside Pakistan, creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs. Such an endeavor will eventually end up using jet engines for commercial passenger air-crafts, and would allow Pakistan to get into Jet engine assembly (initially) and later, into R&D and Manufacturing (similar to how the JFT program went from assembly to now producing close to 75% of the parts).
I think Ukraine is offering TOT so if that's cheaper, than it makes sense. You can always reduce the size to come up with a smaller version of this beast, to carry less cargo and passengers. This would come with Jet engines as is, so no propellers, which would allow Pakistan to setup a modern jet engine industry, vs. propellers in the above Y-8 /9 example (like how they did it with the JFT block I, starting directly with a 3.5th - 4th gen jet). But the TOT and manufacturing cost has to be cheaper, or at the same level as the Chinese for this type of an arrangement to make sense!!
That's why you need two version of whatever Pakistan eventually ends up working with through internal assembly and manufacturing, i.e. One version with propellers, and one with jet engines, for the sheer purposes you mentioned. I personally thought it would make sense to get TOT on Shanxi Y-8 and Y-9 platforms, and produce or assemble a jet engine for civilian use. That way, you get propeller one for more grunt work and a better version can serve Cargo and Civilian travel. You could reduce this beasts air-frame too and produce a propeller and a smaller jet engine based version too. Cost and Technology set have to make sense though between Chinese and this option.
