Pakistan and Turkey to Develop Unified Halal Standards

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently signed between Turkey's Halal certification body and the Pakistan National Accreditation Council (PNAC) will prove to be a catalyst for developing the country's unified standards for Halal items according to international standards.

This was stated by Ministry of Science and Technology spokesperson Dr. Tariq Masood while talking to APP on Monday.

The ministry spokesperson said this agreement is crucial because it will help build the capacity of Pakistani experts to develop unified standards for Halal food, including meat, food, clothing and cosmetics.

Dr. Tariq Masood said that since Turkey is a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and a member of the EU, the country is following best practices for Halal certification and can better share its expertise with Pakistan.

PNAC is a department under the Ministry of Science and Technology, responsible for developing the country's Halal standards.

He added: "There is an urgent need to develop unified Halal food standards acceptable to everyone nationwide, to stop the trend of different standards being implemented in the country."

He said this MoU will enable Pakistan and Turkey to share their experience in this field and help each other by holding joint seminars, conferences and training programs.

Dr. Tariq Masood said that Pakistan and Turkey recently signed three MoUs in the field of science and technology during the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In addition to the MoU between PNAC and Turkey's Halal certification body, other MoUs were signed between the Turkish Standards Institution and the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority, and between Turkish Aerospace Industries and the National University of Sciences and Technology, to promote cooperation in various sectors.