KARACHI: Halal food is meant to be the food that is prepared and preserved in accordance with the Islamic laws. Usually, it is considered that this food is traded around the world by Muslim countries, but this is not the case.
Ironically, there is not a single Muslim country among the first 10 countries that are on the list of top halal food traders.
Pakistan, the second biggest Muslim country in terms of population, is quite far behind in this race, as it contributes only 0.25 per cent in the entire halal food trade of $3 trillion, which is almost negligible.
Keeping this in view, the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), the biggest organization of Pakistani traders, held an event at a local hotel of Karachi in order to find potential opportunities for the traders.
The experts on the occasion admitted that there was a huge potential in Pakistan with regard to the trade of halal food items.
They explored the government’s negligence which was causing huge losses not only to the traders but to itself as well, in the form of financial resources. One of the suggestions on the occasion was to form a Pakistan Halal Development Authority (PHDA) that could point out hurdles in the way of increasing halal food trade.
In a country which consists of more than 98 per cent Muslims, the concept of Halal trade needed recognition, they opined, urging the finance minister to focus on this industry as it has potential to generate billions of dollars for the economy.
Diplomats from various countries including Russia, Japan, Malaysia, Iran, and Thailand were present at the event.
