Minister for rehabilitation of Auto Support Centre

LAHORE : Provincial Minister for Industries and Commerce Mian Aslam Iqbal Saturday directed the authorities concerned to rehabilitate the abandoned Auto Support Centre in Quaid-i-Azam Industrial Estate (QIE) at Kot Lakhpat.

Chairing a meeting regarding the projects of Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company (PIEDMC) here, he said that a comprehensive proposal must be prepared for rehabilitation of Auto Support Centre that would be linked to Auto Technology Park Sheikhpura.

The minister also reviewed in detail the progress on development works in the PIEDMC managed industrial zones.

PIEDMC Chairman Syed Nabil Hashmi, CEO Ali Moazzam Syed, board members and other officers concerned attended the meeting, and gave a briefing to the minister on the ongoing projects.

PIEDMC Chairman Syed Nabil Hashmi told the minister that development works on PIEDMC managed projects were being completed on a priority basis.

The minister directed the officers concerned to complete Quaid-i-Azam Business Park and Multipurpose Business Centre within stipulated time and prepare a comprehensive proposal for rehabilitation of the Auto Support Centre.

He said that state-of-the-art infrastructure and modern business facilities were being provided in the industrial zones which would strengthen the economy of the province.

He said that a modern Auto Technology Park was being established in Quaid-i-Azam Business Park Sheikhupura while the Auto Support Centre in Quaid-i-Azam Industrial Estate Kot Lakhpat would be connected to that Technology Park.

Training classes for the students would be started at the Auto Support Centre.

The provincial minister directed that the rehabilitation of the Auto Support Centre should begin in the current financial year.

Tribunal acquits two accused of copyright infringement: An intellectual property tribunal on Saturday acquitted two accused of infringement of copyright and trademark after holding that police could not investigate such matters.

The tribunal held that the Intellectual Property Rights Organisation had sole prerogative to investigate such offences.

Intellectual Property Tribunal Presiding officer Chaudhry Abdul Qayyum passed the orders while allowing applications filed by Bilal and Shahbaz against registration of FIRs by police over infringement of copyright and trademark of a company.

Earlier, Advocate Sheraz Zaka on behalf of the applicants argued that Intellectual Property Rights Organisation had the authority to investigate the matters in connection with infringement of trademark and copyright whereas police did not have any authority to investigate such matters.

He submitted that under Section 13 of the Intellectual Property Act 2012, police registered FIRs against his clients in connection with violation of copyrights and trademark and investigated the same without any authority.

He pleaded with the court to order to quash the FIRs as police did not have the authority for the purpose. The court, after hearing arguments of the parties, allowed the applications and acquitted the accused of the charges.