Halal today is a global phenomenon – Pakistani minister

Halal market and Halal branding is today a global phenomenon and it has the potential to make any country, especially a Muslim-majority country like Pakistan, proud and prosperous.

Pakistan Minister for Science and Technology Mir Changez Khan Jamali said the enormity of Halal business today cannot be denied as the importance and significance of value added exports in any economy cannot be over emphasized.

Extensive Arabic calligraphy tile work at the Wazir Khan Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan.

He added that contrary to general understanding, Halal business is not just limited to Muslim communities and countries because Halal products‘ high hygienic values the are attracting the non-Muslims as well.

He was chairing the first meeting of National Steering Committee for the promotion and development of Halal products in Pakistan.

Despite this however, no industry could go far without research and development within today’s competitive business environment.

Science and technology companies must therefore work to ensure that private industries are fully supported by applied Research & Development work.

Changez Khan said amongst the four Islamic republics in the world today, i.e. Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Mauritius, only Pakistan has the potential for production and export within the Halal market.

This notion was supported by Thailand’s ambassador to Pakistan Mr Marut Jitpatima on Thursday. He said Pakistan can indeed become world leader in the US$1.3 trillion global Halal food market as evident by the level of satisfaction from countries importing meat from Pakistan.

However, there is always room for improvement and Thailand, a world leader in poultry products, can help develop Pakistan’s expanding poultry sector to become more competitive, he said.

“We are (also) interested in investment and joint ventures in Pakistan’s energy sector,” said Jitpatima. “We are planning to establish a Thai Industrial Zone in Pakistan and looking forward to secure the facilities of bonded warehouse,” he said, adding that the construction of a Thai Plaza in Karachi is also on the cards.

He was speaking to a delegation led by the Chairman of Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Mr Hameed Akhtar Chadda. Jitpatima added that a draft of the Joint Trade Committee had been completed and they are looking forward to an FTA between Pakistan and Thailand.

He also agreed to launch a Thai Food Festival in Islamabad to commemorate the 60 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Source: DailyTimes.pk and OnlineNews.pk. Photo by Atif Gulzar, Lahore, Pakistan.

Posted by admin on 20.03.2011. Filed under Halal Trade. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry