Halal is an Arabic term which means permitted, allowed & lawful and for a product to be Halal it should be free from all traces of Haram (prohibited substances) as per religious text of Quran & Sunnah. If something is declared “Haram” it remains prohibited regardless of the good intention or honorable purpose. The concept of Halal products is based on Islamic injunctions as envisaged in the following verse: “O Mankind, Eat of that which is Halal and Tayyab on Earth,” (Quran 2:168). It is, therefore, important to develop and standardize Shariah guidelines, principles, rules and regulations for the development of Halal trade and businesses at the local & global level.
As per constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan no law shall be made contrary to the injunctions of Quran & Sunnah. Halal certification bodies must adhere Halal standards in letter & spirit. Halal purview encompasses all the spheres of life.
PHDA under the supervision of Pakistan Halal Authority (PHA) act as a regulatory Government agency to ensure conformity and uniformity of Halal standards & certifications through monitoring mechanism. PHDA urge to take necessary steps in establishing, organizing, harmonizing trustworthy mechanism to promote and regulate Halal trade. PHDA strive to promote Pakistani products & services to facilitate the business community in getting access to the International Halal market.
The value of Global Halal trade segment comprises of multi trillion US dollars including food & non-food items & the same is growing rapidly under diversified areas of trade. The demand for Healthy & Safe Agro-Livestock Food Products is increasing due to rise in the population and better Socio-Economic conditions. Pakistan has the 4th largest livestock population in the world and rightly prides in its 100% Halal food value chain with skilled human resource and application of Shariah principles in the processes for producing Halal and Tayyab products by ensuring compliance of Halal, Safety & Hygiene Standards.
The factors mentioned above essentially entail implementation of Shariah Principles, relating to production, provision and supply of Food, Non-Food Products and services. For successful implementation of any system, dedicated professional teams fully conversant with the Halal certification & management system are required. This brings to focus the importance of Capacity Building of persons who are to be made responsible to execute the scheme. PHDA has published Shariah Guidelines for the guidance of Producers, Manufactures, Exporters & Importers of the Halal Food & Non-Food products.
PHDA has organized 7 Annual International Halal Conferences & Exhibitions to provide Forum to the Halal Exporters & Importers of the lucrative International Halal Market with a view to promote Halal Trade, Commerce & Industry. PHDA invites all the stakeholder of the Halal Trade & Industry to join its campaign of promoting Halal Trade.
Muhammad Asim Javaid (PAS) Registrar PHDA / Director General, Punjab Food Authority
