Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan (IPO Pakistan) has established an IPO Facilitation Desk at the Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to help local entrepreneurs and manufacturers protect their intellectual property rights (IPRs) and build their brands. The desk was inaugurated in Gujranwala on October 19, 2026, by Director General of IPO Pakistan Mr. Nauman Aslam Sheikh during his visit to GCCI. He was accompanied by Mr. Mueed Aman Rana, Director and In charge of the IPO Pakistan Regional Office in Lahore, and other officers. The event also included an awareness session on intellectual property rights, trademark registration, brand protection, patents and industrial designs, which gave members of the chamber an opportunity to learn about the services that are available to them.
The event was attended by GCCI President Mr. Ghulam Hussain Judge, Senior Vice President Mr. Arshad Mughal, Vice President Rana Muhammad Farhan Asghar and former President Mian Umer Saleem. Other participants included Aamir Rehman, former Vice President and Executive Member Waqas Afzal Mughal, members of the Executive Committee, and prominent industrialists and manufacturers. Addressing them, the Director General highlighted the importance of intellectual property protection in promoting innovation, safeguarding business interests and improving the competitiveness of Pakistani products. He said that the facilitation desk would bring the services of IPO Pakistan closer to the business community by providing accessible guidance on intellectual property matters.
The Director General also spoke about the effect of automation and institutional reforms at the organization. He said that the backlog of trademark cases has been significantly reduced over the last year, and that the registration period has come down from around two years to approximately eight months. He further told the participants that an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism is being introduced to help resolve intellectual property disputes in a timely manner. These changes address two concerns that businesses often raise, which are the time taken to register a trademark and the time needed to settle disputes over rights.
The leadership of GCCI welcomed the establishment of the desk and recognized its potential to help local businesses protect their trademarks, industrial designs and brands. According to the announcement, the initiative reflects the commitment of IPO Pakistan to deeper engagement with industry, to the promotion of awareness about intellectual property and to support for innovation and industrial growth. With the desk now open inside the chamber, entrepreneurs and manufacturers in Gujranwala can seek guidance on registration and protection of their intellectual property without travelling to the regional office in Lahore.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
