ISLAMABAD: Intellectual Property Organization (IPO-Pakistan) will become one of the most important institutions once China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) become fully functional, an official said on Thursday. “CPEC would open new avenues of foreign investment in the country and a number of foreign companies will establish their operations in Pakistan,” said Shazia Fatima Khawaja, parliamentary secretary for commerce. “They will need support of IPO-Pakistan to protect their Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs),” she said, during a special briefing given by the officials of IPO-Pakistan regarding working of the organisation, its mechanism, achievements and future plans. Appreciating the performance of IPO-Pakistan, she assured the ministry of commerce’s unflinching support to the organisation. Khwaja stressed that the organisation should intensify its efforts to create awareness about IPRs among the masses. “IPO-Pakistan is doing a wonderful work in such a short time since its inception, but still there is a long way to go,” she said. About the proposed laws of IPO-Pakistan, Khawaja said that enactment of Geographical Indications (GI) Law would be expedited. Earlier, briefing the parliamentary secretary, IPO-Pakistan Director (Enforcement) Muhammad Ismail informed about the working of the organisation since its inception. He said due to a number of initiatives of the organisation, the US government has removed Pakistan from the priority watch list and its ranking has also improved. In the latest survey published by the World Economic Forum, it had won appreciation from national and international organizations, he added.
