NA informed: Pakistan to increase Halal items' export to $1 billion

Pakistan intends to ramp up exports of its Halal products to at least one billion dollars in the next couple of years and is working diligently to make Pakistan Halal Authority functional in two months.
Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanveer Hussain informed this to National Assembly on Monday during the Question Hour.
He said that Pakistan's share in trillions of dollars business of Halal articles across the globe is just $25 million and his ministry has been working hard to increase the country's share to at least one billion dollars.
"Being a Muslim country we should be a major exporter of Halal foods and other items in the world and we are struggling to achieve the target," he said.
The minister said that Pakistan Halal Authority set up through an act of the Parliament would be made functional in the next two months. The authority will be responsible for keeping a check on exports and imports of Halal items and boosting the country's share in exports of Halal items, he said.
He admitted that at the moment there was no check and balance on import of the items that have been using Haram ingredients, especially chocolates and other confectionaries.
It is the responsibility of the provinces to keep a check on quality of food in their respective areas as Pakistan Halal Authority is mandated to look into exports and imports of the Halal items, he said.
Giving details about composition of the authority, he said the prime minister has recently approved the constitution of board of governor of PHA and its first meeting will be held soon.
He said the recruitment process for the authority is in hand and on receipt of no-objection certificate from the Establishment Division, and approval of service rules, applications to fill in the posts shall be invited. The minister also informed the house that Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Laboratories located in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar has established Halal Food authentication laboratories at the PCSIR Labs Complex, Lahore, which is supporting local industries for export and import of Halal items.
Pakistan National Accreditation Council being national accreditation body has taken initiative by launching Halal Accreditation Scheme according to Pakistan Standard PS 4992-2010 in line with the requirements of OIC/SMIIC Halal Guidelines for the recognition and acceptability of Halal certification bodies and the certificates issued by these accredited Halal certification bodies, he said. The PNAC has so far awarded accreditation certificate to four Halal certification bodies in the country, he said, adding that Pakistan Halal Authority will ensure exports and imports of the Halal items in the country after becoming functional.
To another question, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab informed the house that Pakistan could not start construction work of Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline due to international sanctions on Iran.
The government of Iran, under the government to government cooperation agreement dated 1st December, 2012, agreed to get the gas pipeline constructed through its nominated entity and also provide $500 million, however subsequently it unilaterally withdrew from the commitment, he said.
The minister said that as a consequence Pakistan side declared the Force Majeure and issued the Force Majeure notice to Iran. Pakistan side has proposed amendment in the Gas Sale Purchase Agreement (GSPA) and is ready to complete the gas pipeline within 30 months after the removal of international sanctions on Iran, he said. Under the GSPA, Pakistan is to pay an amount of $1.8 million per day under the "Take or Pay" clause, however Iran has not claimed any such amount as it has yet to complete its segment of the gas pipeline (250-km) and unilaterally withdrew from the cooperation agreement, therefore it is legally not in a position to claim the amount, he said.
The minister informed the house that Pakistan has not paid any fine to Iran and there is no likelihood to have any impact on the national exchequer, he said.