Senate body passes Pakistan Halal Authority Bill

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Pakistan Today

The Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology on Monday unanimously passed The Pakistan Halal Authority Bill, 2015 after detailed discussion.

The committee met with Senator Osman Saifullah Khan in the chair. Senators Lt. Gen (r) Abdul Qayyum and Mian Muhammad Ateeq Sheikh and Federal Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanveer Hussain attended the meeting.

The committee praised the efforts of the ministry for preparing the draft of Halal Authority Bill.

The committee observed that there was a need to establish the monopoly of local industry in the Halal sector and that farming of sheeps and goats should be encouraged.

An official of the Ministry of S&T told the committee that the Pakistan Council of Science and Industrial Research (PCSIR) had established Halal Authentication laboratory at PCSIR Labs Complex, Lahore and Peshawar to support local industries and regulatory authorities for export and import of Halal items, especially food and cosmetics.

The body was informed that Pakistan, like other Muslim countries was opposing the establishment of Halal Technical Committee in World Health Organization (WHO).

The official briefed the members about the salient features of The Pakistan Halal Authority Bill, 2015.The purpose of the authority was to promote imports, exports, trade and commerce with the foreign countries and inter-provincial trade and commerce in Halal articles and processes.

 

ARTICLE TWO

Pak Senate committee approves bill on ‘Halal food products’

Islamabad: The Pakistan Senate Standing Committee on Science and Technology has approved the ‘Pakistan Halal Authority Bill, 2015’, paving the way for the up-gradation of food laws in the country.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the committee held with Senator Usman Saifullah,reports Dawn.

The bill, already approved by the National Assembly in December, will now be presented in the upper house for approval.

The committee members said that laws were needed to discourage sale of items containing Haram ingredients.

They acknowledged that the bill would help increase export of Pakistan’s Halal products and said that even India exported certified items having Halal logo.

The committee was informed that the bill recommended a maximum punishment of three years imprisonment and Rs one million fine for violating the provisions relating to import or export and marketing of items without Halal logo.

Senators agreed that there was a need to establish a single authority to promote trade and commerce of ‘Halal’ aspects of food and non-food items, including leather and other products.(ANI)