1st Global Halal Congress in Pakistan
The 1st Global Halal Congress concluded successfully in Karachi on December 4, 2010, with participation from over 28 delegates from 17 countries with the Grand Mufti of Bosnia Dr Mustafa Ceric as the guest of honour. It must be mentioned here that ‘Halal’ has become an international brand known to over 2 billion consumers. ‘Halal Certified’ stands for a high quality standard, whether it is food or non-food product including pharmaceuticals, vitamins and cosmetics etc.
From left to right (top): Mr. D.M. Qureshi, Chairman, Halal Development Council, Mr. Vernon Osborne, Director, STRC-Research Limited, UK, Dr. Saber Khan, Director, Ethnic Focus (Research & Intelligence), UK, Mr. Tariq Iqbal Puri, Chief Executive, TDAP, Mr. Humayun Aziz Kurd, Federal Minister for Livestock, Mr. Nisar Khoro, Speaker Sindh Assembly and Acting Governor Sindh, Honorable Dr. Fehmida Mirza, Speaker National Assembly, His Eminence Dr. Mustufa Ceric, The Grand Mufti of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Mr. Asad Sajjad, Secretary General / CEO, Halal Development Council (HDC), Honorable YB Haji Abdul Malik Kassim, Minister of Penang State Government, Malaysia, Mr. Saeed Navlakhi, Theological Director, SANHA, South Africa, Mr. Darhim Hashim, CEO, IHI Alliance, Malaysia,
Dr. S. Zenaida Laidan, Regional Director, Department of Science & Technology, Philippines. From left to right (bottom): Dr. M. Munir Chaudry, CEO, IFANCA, USA, Dr. M. Salah Messikh, Director, Halal Polska, Poland, Mr. Fazal Bahardeen, CEO, Crescentrating, Singapore, Dr. Mian Nadeem Riaz, Professor, Texas A&M University, USA, Nissar Ahmad, President, Halal Council, Mauritius, Mr. Ebrahim Adams, Member, MJC Halal Trust, South Africa, Dr. M. Samy Abdel-Al, President, N.Z. Islamic Meat & Processed Food Management, New Zealand, Dr. M. H. Shojaee, Director, Faroogh Life Sciences, Research Lab, Iran, Mr. Aydar Gazizov, Director General, Centre for Halal Standard, Russia, Mr. Akhmetsha Kaderov, General Directror, Halal Ash, Russia, Dr. Winai Dahlan, Founder Director, Halal Science Center, Thailand, Mr. Gustavo Khalil, President, Halal Catering, Argentina.

Her Excellency Dr. Fehmida Mirza
Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan

The Chief Guest, Speaker National Assembly, Dr. Fehmida Mirza, said that the TDAP is drafting up a Halal Certification Bill with an aim to give a better exposure to Pakistan’s exports to fulfill the requirements for the consumers of Halal products and services. that is comprised of one fourth of worlds total population. “Once the drafting of the
said Bill in consultation with all stakeholders get completed by TDAP, it would be tabled before the National Assembly to make it into law,” she said.She said the world had undergone tremendous changes and there was rapid increase in demand of consumer goods and hoped that promotion of Halal certified food and services would open up new vistas for the Pakistan’s exports. The Speaker praised the efforts of HDC (Halal Development Council), an NGO dedicated to the development of Halal Economy. She said that HDC was also planning to organize Pakistan’s 1st Global Halal Expo in Lahore in 2011 and said that she hoped TDAP would extend the same support to HDC to make Halal Expo a success to Pakistan.

Mr. Nisar Khoro
Speaker Sindh Assembly

Speaker Sindh Assembly and Acting Governor Sindh Nisar Khoro said that the Halal Congress was a better platform to explore the hidden and open commercial opportunities among Muslim and non-Muslim worlds. He congratulated the organizer Halal Development Council for holding such an important event in Pakistan inviting delegates from all over the world.

Mr. Humayun Aziz Kurd
Federal Minister for Livestock

The Federal Minister for Livestock, Humayun Aziz Kurd, said that government fully supports the cause of Halal movement and entering into the trillion dollar world Halal market. He said that in order to promote exports of Halal meat and poultry, his ministry has initiated Rs 1.5 billion project to enhance livestock production in Pakistan and to encourage

the export of Halal meat, the government has declared machinery for slaughter houses as duty free.

Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani
Federal Minister for Industires & Production

Minister of Industries & Production, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani spoke at the concluding session of the Congress. He congratulated the Halal Development Council and TDAP who jointly organized the biggest Halal Conference of this region and opened the doors for Pakistan to enter the trillion dollar global Halal market. Mr Bajarani thanked the foreign
delegates who gathers from 17 different countries to attend the Halal Congress and distributed mementoes to all delegates.

Mr. Tariq Iqbal Puri
Chief Executive,
Trade Develolopment Authority of Pakistan,

The Chief Executive, TDAP, Tariq Iqbal Puri said that TDAP is fully determined to make Pakistan a Halal hub in the region and one day the country would be able to establish Halal Pakistan as a brand in the world Halal economy. He said that there are vast opportunities in Halal markets

and the exporters should strive hard to fetch their due share. He said that the bill in this regard to be tabled in the National Assembly would be prepared by TDAP and it would be called the Bill of Halal Certification.

His Eminence, Dr. Mustufa Ceric
The Grand Mufti Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Grand Mufti of Bosnia Herzegovina, Dr. Mustafa Ceric in his key note address called upon the Muslim Ummah to spread peace and harmony in the world with the Halal Movement with the message to use and consume whatever is Halal and Tayyab, Dr. Mustafa said there was great demand of Halal food in Europe where large population belongs to
Muslims emigrants. He also advised Muslims to make Halal food and other services attractive for consumers as the Haram products are made attractive for consumers to capture the markets. He also recommended that Halal food should be made tasty, pleasant and nice looking with no chemicals to attract the consumers world over. He also said that his country is indebted to Pakistanis for their whole-hearted support to Bosnia during its siege and killing of the innocent Muslims by Serbians.

Honourable Haji Abdul Malik Kassim
Minister of Penang State Government,
Malaysia,

Minister of Penang State Government of Malaysia, Haji Abdul Malik at the first Global Halal Congress called Pakistan ‘Super Power’ of Halal Industry having 98% Muslims and being blessd with natural resources. He stated that there is no competition in Halal market and with collaboration only we can conquer the

world. He urged upon making this Congress the starting point for Pakistan and initiative of working together to make Halal as the way of life and Halal Tayyaban as brand of the world.

Dr. Abdol Hossein Fakhari
Director General, ICRIC (Halal World), Iran

Dr. Abdol Hossein Fakhari, Secretary General of Halalworld Brand and Executive Manager of Islamic Chamber Research and Information Center (ICRIC) spoke about ICRIC which was established in 2005 with the aim of creating a Halalworld Center for unifying of Halal movements in all countries as there were no single Halal standard. ICRIC has taken
the first step and has prepared Common Standard applicable for all the Islamic Madhab and presented to the Halal workgroup in COMCEC. Now this single standard is in disposal of Islamic and non- Islamic countries with the title, ‘OIC Guideline on Halal Food’. Talking about the future projects, Dr Fakhari further said that the first step is Halalworld brand with the support of OIC Halal Standard and the next step is the combining all manufacturers of Halal products in the world and then creating a communicating network among applicants of Halal products and Halal producers. The most important step is establishing an "International Halal Research Center" in which all scientists can cooperate and take advantage..

Mr. Asad Sajjad
Secretary General/CEO
Halal Development Council

Asad Sajjad, Secretary General/CEO of Halal Development Council in his welcome address said Halal being a trillion dollar market globally and the “Halal Brand” recognized as symbol of ‘Good Quality Product, so non-Muslim also buy products with the Halal Logo. He said that HDC was registered as an NGO to facilitate the

suppliers and exporters by providing platforms for Halal Awareness, Compliance, Standards, Certification, Branding, Marketing, Research, Halal industrial development and after successfully organizing the region’s biggest Halal Congress, HDC will continue its efforts to create awareness in Pakistan regarding the Power of Halal brand and awareness in the world regarding Pakistan’s potential to supply Halal Certified to the world. He said that next Global Halal Congress and Expo would be held in Lahore next year.