As a news report from Kuala Lumpur revealed, Halal Development Project (HDP) of Pakistan and International Halal Integrity Alliance Ltd (IHI) of Malaysia earlier this month signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for forging bilateral ties in the Halal food sector.
Significantly, on this occasion, Asad Sajjad, Chief Executive Officer of Halal Development Project while highlighting the salient features said that according to the MoU, International Halal Integrity Alliance Ltd (IHI) of Malaysia will organise Halal-compliant training workshops in Pakistan and Malaysia for Pakistani industrialists, businessmen and workforce.
More to this, it will also assist in establishing a Halal Standards Board and Halal Accreditation Body in Pakistan, besides co-ordinating with Pakistan to set up Halal products testing laboratories, provide referrals of key experts in setting up a Halal science base in Pakistan.
It will be recalled that only a couple of days earlier, in a meeting between Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dato Mustapa Bin Mohamed, Minister for International Trade and Industry, Malaysia, the two countries had agreed to form the Joint Ministerial Committee, Business Council and working groups, to review and carry forward implementation of the decisions reached between the two countries for bilateral trade and investment. This is a welcome development.
Notably, of late, the two countries have redoubled efforts to enhance mutual co-operation in the realm of trade and industry. Viewed in this perspective, the developing situation appears to be quite encouraging for increased co-operation, which will brighten prospects for widening Pak-Malaysia trade.