ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanveer Hussain on Monday inaugurated the two-day long “D-8 Experts Group Meeting on Halal Sector Development”.
Participants from Egypt, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Iran and Pakistan are participating in the Expert Group meeting. In two-day long meeting experts will focus on increasing the trade in Halal Sector amongst the D-8 countries by strengthening the standards, conformity assessment procedures and technical regulations for Halal food products and services.
Addressing the participants, the minister said that the theme of this meeting “harmonizing Halal practices -let’s do it together” in itself conveys the need of mutually supported and consensually built strategies for moving ahead to address this subject of international significance.
Rana Tanveer Hussain said that the federal government for the first time 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 interventions.
He said that the ministry attached departments has taken a number of initiatives and steps to promote the Halal sector, adding that this includes formulation of relevant standards, establishment of Halal authentication laboratory at PCSIR Labs Complex, Lahore and Launching of Halal Accreditation Scheme according to Pakistan Standard PS 4992-2010 formulated in-line with the requirements of OIC/ SMIIC Halal Guidelines.
He said that the two day event will also provide an opportunity to contribute towards capacity building, human resource development and knowledge sharing. He appreciated the ministry of Science and Technology, PSQCA, PNAC and PCSIR for their efforts for organizing and hosting such an event.
The scope of the Halal sector covers a wide range of items such as food, pharmaceutical, health, food supplements and toiletries etc.
This is the first meeting of its kind on Halal Sector Development from the platform of D-8. The two-day D-8 Expert Group Meeting on Halal Sector will provide platform for experts from the member countries to meet, discuss and exchange the ideas on new research findings, emerging technologies, trends, issues and challenges in the Halal industry of D-8 Member countries.
Secretary Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) Kamran Ali Qureshi, Joint Technological Advisor MoST Muhammad Khalid Siddiq andother senior officials of Ministry also attended the event.
