ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Monday passed a bill to establish the Pakistan Halal Authority to promote trade and commerce in Halal food products and to capture Pakistan’s share in the trillion of dollars international Halal food business.

The Pakistan Halal Authority Bill, moved by Minister for Science and Technology Rana Tanveer Hussain, envisions purposes of imports and exports with foreign countries and inter-provincial trade and commerce in all such articles and processes, which are described or represented as being Halal.

The proposed Pakistan Halal Authority will be tasked to recommend “Halal standards for government-notified articles and processes for adoption by a National Standards Body in accordance with comprehensive guidelines of Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), provide for certification of Halal products and authorize a halal logo.” According to the bill, among Halal animals are listed domestic animals such as cattle, buffaloes, sheep, goats, camels, chickens, geese, ducks, turkeys; non-predatory animals such as deer, antelope, chamois, wild cattle; and non-predatory birds such as pigeons, sparrows, quails, starlings, and ostriches.

The non-Halal list includes: pigs, dogs, and their descendants; animals not slaughtered in the name of Allah or not according to Islamic rules; animals that died of themselves; animals with long pointed teeth or tusks used to kill prey or defend themselves such as bears, elephants, monkeys, wolves, lions, tigers, panthers, cats, jackals, foxes, squirrels, martens, weasels and moles, crocodiles and alligators; predatory birds with sharp claws such as hawks, falcons, eagles, vultures, ravens, crows, kites, owls; pests and venomous animals such as rats, centipedes, scorpions, snakes, wasps, mouse and other similar animals; animals that are considered repulsive like lizards, snails, insects and their larva and other similar animals; animals forbidden to be killed in Islam such as honeybees and

hoopoe; donkeys and mules; any ingredient derived from non-halal animals; and farmed Halal animals intentionally and continually fed with non-Halal food.

