The Pakistan National Accreditation Council, Ministry of Science and Technology, Director General Asmat Gull Khattak has said the Punjab Halal Development Agency is the first ever public sector halal certification body which will play a significant role in growth of the halal business sector in Pakistan.
She also said that after the accreditation, her agency would help traders catch their lion's share from international halal market to strengthen the economy. Her comments came in her address during a seminar arranged by the agency on Saturday to mark its accreditation with the council. Agency Chairman, Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Khan said his agency was trying to regulate the halal sector of Pakistan and his agency's accreditation was "a step towards achieving the objectives of its establishment" by the Punjab government.
"All halal businesses can obtain certification from the agency to certify their products as halal," he added. He then urged manufacturers and producers to use Riba- [interest] free finances for producing and processing food and non-food products and explained that the process or the product might be Shariah-compliant but the product or process would never be halal if the finance used was invested with interest.
He said Islamic banks should come forward to provide the finances to producers and manufacturers. He also acknowledged efforts and support rendered by sector stakeholders and the Punjab USAID Enabling Environment Project for supporting his agency. The USAID, through its Punjab Enabling Environment Project (PEEP), has collaborated with the agency to provide in-kind and technical assistance to help strengthen the human and institutional capacity of the organisation and improve the overall business environment for increased investments in the halal meat segment of the livestock sector.
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