A two-day seminar was held on Wednesday on the subject of Geographical Indication's under the patronage of Saeed Ahmed Alvi, Secretary Commerce and Investment Department, Government of Punjab.
The Commerce and Investment Department under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi took the lead in facilitating the growers, producers and stakeholders to protect their geographical indications.
The geographical indications and registration of products is the first project of its own kind being run by the Commerce and Investment Department under Project Director Maqsood Ahmed Chaudhry Additional Secretary Commerce and Investment Department, which will play a role in development and diversification of geographical indications products.
Geographical indications, according to the agreement on Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (Trips), are that the goods originating in the territory or a region or a locality in that territory where a given quality, reputation or other characteristics of the goods are essentially attributable to its geographical origin.
The program was spread over three sessions of mango, horticulture and heritage respectively. Saeed Ahmad Alvi said that commerce being a domestic issue, efforts was focused on export supply chain, adding that public-private partnership and joint ventures must be encouraged.
Orange Institute, Sargodha, Director Niaz Ahmad told the audience that two million tons of orange was produced by Pakistan annually. Seedless Kinnow was being propagated and 153 varieties had been under research, he added.
Last session on heritage was presided over by ex-DG Archaeology Saifur Rehman Dar. Lahore College of Women University Director Nudra Shahbaz Naeem emphasised that we must build and protect our heritage, which had great value in the world.