ISLAMABAD: Federal Commerce Khurram Dastgir has told the National Assembly that the government is drafting a law to restrict import of Haram edible ingredients into Pakistan which shall be promulgated within the current year.
While addressing the Parliament the minister said the Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of National Food and Security and Ministry of Commerce are jointly crafting ‘Pakistan Halal Authority Act 2014’ to bar the import of Haram eatable ingredients.
Through the act would customs officials will be empowered to stop such import. It was the mandate of Food Ministry to check the import of Haram edible items and assured the House to ban such import immediately where Haram ingredients are found.
“It is our social and religious obligation,” said Khurram Dastgir. He said the new law will be more specific with regard to dispensation of responsibilities and Ministry of Science and Technology will be taking lead under the new law.
He further stated that Pakistan Quality Standards have already set up a laboratory for the purpose and guidelines about Halal food have been published keeping in view the OIC guidelines.
Meanwhile, Dastgir told an envoys conference that they should enhance their efforts for carving out an enviable position for the country in the regional and global markets.
To further foster economic and trade relations with the Islamic countries, the process for Pakistan-GCC Free Trade Agreement was initiated. Progress on the stalled FTA negotiations could create a level playing field for our exporters, said the minister.
“I would urge the envoys to more actively initiate and support endeavours for expansion of trade in the Middle East. Together, we can overcome challenges and convert challenges into opportunities,” said Dastgir. He said Pakistan is ideally placed among regions and countries stretching across Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia and China.
“Our geographic proximity with energy and oil rich economies of Middle East and Gulf region has opened up many new economic avenues in diverse sectors of economy including export of merchandise goods, services, investments in energy, industry and infrastructure,” he added.
Growth in trade and investment, he said, is crucial for Pakistan at this juncture. He said that the benefits of Pakistan’s membership of regional initiatives and bilateral preferential agreements with China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia could also be beneficial for other economies and adjoining regions.
He said Pakistan’s trade missions established in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait undertake regular activities for tapping the regional potential. The volume of trade between Pakistan and Middle Eastern countries during the year 2012-13 was recorded at $31.47 billion, he said, adding that Pakistan’s exports stood at $5.421 billion and imports from Middle East amounted to $26.05 billion.
