Pakistan govt urged to strengthen national halal certification mark

Exporters, government functionaries, and entrepreneurs called for strengthening one national halal mark while widening certification for food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and revamping laboratory testing to achieve the maximum share for Pakistan from the $3 trillion global halal industry and to remove hurdles.

The First Pakistan Halal Forum 2026 concluded last week as it outlining a roadmap to strengthen Pakistan’s halal economy under the theme “The Intelligent Halal Economy”.

It was organised by Halal Development Council (HDC), co-organised by Pakistan Halal Authority (PHA) and International Halal Certification (IHC), with DinarStandard as Knowledge Partner and endorsed by the World Halal Council (WHC). The forum marked Pakistan’s first dedicated platform for the $3 trillion global halal industry.

Delivering his presentation about human capital development in the halal industry and building human capital for a global halal industry, Executive Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Research at the Saudi Halal Center Engineer Mohammad Aldhafiry said the Global Halal Academy aspires to serve as an international hub for education and training in halal through collaborative programmes to meet the growing demand for halal qualified professionals and provide globally aligned content that supports knowledge-sharing and raises awareness across all relevant sectors.

He elucidated the global halal academy pillars which consist of competency development, creating new economic opportunities, specialised human capacity building and innovation and digital transformation.

Presenting insights from the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report, DinarStandard USA CEO Rafiuddin Shikoh said halal products OIC imports reached $421.49 billion in 2024. He said investments in the Islamic economy reached $13.1 billion in 2025.

Pakistan is ranked the 21st in halal products, while India is ranked the second in export of halal products, as per Shikoh.

He urged Pakistani entrepreneurs to leverage untapped markets and deploy its maximum share in the halal global market which is more than $3 trillion.

Speaking to Business Recorder, PHA Director General (DG) Mureed Rahimoon said Pakistan could explore new markets by building trust in its national halal system, aligning standards with destination countries, securing recognition agreements, supporting exporters to meet buyer requirements, showcasing products at international exhibitions, and using trade diplomacy to open access in Asia, Middle East, and Europe.

DG said: “Our plan is to strengthen one national halal mark, expand certification for food, ingredients, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, improve laboratory testing and auditor training, enable digital verification for buyers, and support exporters with guidance, promotion, and market access in priority countries.

Speaking about hindrances to export halal products, he said key hindrances are fragmented regulation, limited laboratory capacity, shortage of trained auditors, inconsistent certification practices, weak traceability, low awareness of the national mark, and limited recognition in some destination markets, which increases cost and delays for exporters.

Highlighting the role of the PHA, Rahimoon said it is a federal statutory body, established to regulate and promote trade in halal products and processes.

“It registers halal certification bodies, licenses the national halal mark, sets certification scheme rules, monitors compliance, protects consumers from false halal claims, and coordinates with national and provincial bodies to ensure one credible national system.”

Asad Sajjad, Chairman, Halal Development Council, said: “This forum is not just an event, it is the beginning of positioning Pakistan as a Global Halal Hub. Our focus is on public-private partnership, innovation and export facilitation to connect Pakistani businesses with buyers in GCC, Malaysia, Indonesia and beyond.”

Mufti Zeeshan Abdulaziz, CEO International Halal Certification (IHC), highlighted that halal has become a global benchmark for quality, hygiene and safety, driven by technologies like QR-code traceability, Blockchain verification and AI-based audit.