LAHORE: The origin-based products of Pakistan like Multan’s Blue Pottery can capture a huge export market by having Geographical Indication (GI) rights as per an international agreement of the World Intellectual Property Rights Organization (WIPO), also signed by Pakistan.

It was disclosed by Socrat Aman Rana, General Manager, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) while addressing a consultative seminar as Chief Guest on behalf of CEO SMEDA Farhan Aziz Khawaja.

The seminar, jointly organized by SMEDA, Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC), IPO and MCCI was also addressed by Muhammad Asim Javaid Hashmi, MD PSIC, Ms Shazia Adnan, Director General of IPO-Pakistan and Sheikh Muhammad Asim Saeed Vice President MCCI. The speakers gave awareness on protection of Multan’s Blue Pottery as Geographical Indication of Pakistan.

Socrat Aman Rana, General Manager shed light on the importance of Geographical Indication concept of WIPO as a tool for value addition and to give Pakistani products a market identity especially with reference to the SME sector. He also highlighted SMEDA’s role in SME sector development and support to all governmental agencies for achieving this goal.

Asim Javaid Hashmi, MD-PSIC, addressing the participants on this occasion, informed that PSIC was making concerted efforts to provide GI protection to the products which are specifically made in various areas of Punjab like “Khadar” in Kamalia and Blue Pottery in Multan. He informed that PSIC was working in close collaboration with SMEDA, IPO and the industry stakeholders to complete the process of GI registration. He said, as registrant organization of the origin-based products of Punjab PSIC is compiling specifications and standards as per requirement of WIPO.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023