Training workshop on understanding & regulating Halal Sector held

Islamabad
The Ministry for Science and Technology along with the collaboration of its organisations, Pakistan National Accreditation Council and Pakistan Standard Quality Control Authority ,Pakistan Science Foundation. PCSIR and Pakistan Council for Science and Technology organized one day training work shop on understanding and regulating of Halal sector in Pakistan here on Monday.
Speaking at the concluding session of the workshop Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Science and Technology said that Halal sector was that of the Muslim world but unfortunately 85% of OIC members countries imports related to Halal food was being carried out by non-Muslim countries. He urged the Muslim scientific community to develop its own proactive dynamic and timely public information system in order to keep the Muslims aware of sound scientific information regarding Halal.
“The estimated population of Muslims worldwide stands at 1.6 billion with the global Halal Market estimated at $2.3trillion both the food and non food sector but the contribution of Pakistan is quite negligible,” he added.
Apprised the participants about the progress of Pakistan Halal Authority which would be presented to parliament for its enactment after approval from Council of Common Interest (CCI) the Minister said that the Federal government for the first time since its inception was enacting a law for promoting export and import of food and non food products and to encourage development of Halal industry in the country through policy intervention.
“Ministry for science and Technology
with its organizations has completed its
homework in terms of formulation of relevant standards, establishment of Halal authentication laboratories and launching of Halal accreditation Scheme according to Pakistan Standards PS 4992-2010 formulated in-line with the requirements of OIC Halal guidelines’’ he added.
Earlier at the opening session of the workshop Kamran Ali Qureshi highlighted the importance of the workshop. He said that this was the first ever formal training session of its kind on Halal sector development being organized at the federal level, inviting participants from all the public sector stakeholder organisations. He hoped that the discussions and exchange of ideas on new research findings, emerging technologies, trends, issues and challenges in the Halal sector would definitely add to their knowledge base, making them to be more productive on the subjects and related issue.
It is pertinent to mention that six members eminent technical experts group on Halal sector lead by Moulana Yusuf Patel, Chairman South African National Halal Authority (SAHNA) were there to train the technical employs of the federal and provincial organisations on understanding and regulating Halal sector. The experts have enlightened the participants on the Halal concepts in the light of Holy Quran and Sunnah, Halal around the Globe, Responsibility of Muslim world in regulating Halal-shariah perspective and importance of educating and creating awareness in the various segments of the public.