CPEC: Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Halal Implementation Council launched

Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhaw Halal Implementation Council has been launched here at Peshawar Medical College (PMC) keeping in view the tremendous opportunities by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the issue of “faith and public health.”

The launching event was organized by the Halal Awareness and Research Council in joint collaboration with the Halal and Safe Food Authority, Khyber Pakhtunkhaw and Prime Foundation (PF).

According to a news release issued here, Afaq Shamsi, President of the Halal Awareness and Research Council facilitated the formation and formal launch of the KP Halal Implementation Council, while Professor Dr Najib ul Haq, Adviser Health & Medical education of the Prime Foundation was nominated unanimously as chairperson of the KP Halal Implementation Council.

Representative of the Halal and Safe Food Authority and senior Ulema Mufti Jawad, Mufti Khalid, Mufti Yahya, Mufti Aqib Javed, and Mufti Masood Shah would be the members of the Council.

The KP Halal Implementation Council will act as a bridge between the food businesses and the Halal Food Authority to help facilitate the implementation of the Halal and Safe Food Guidelines among the food businesses throughout the province.

The speakers on the occasion talked about various aspects of the issue and the need for an integrated effort by all as it was a matter of faith and public health on one hand and an immense opportunity of economic productivity and business on the other in the wake of regional connectivity through regional integration projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and CPEC projects.

The Council and PF will together build the capacity of the food businesses about Halal and Safe Food practices, while the Halal and Safe Food Authority will subsequently certify them as Halal and Safe Food Businesses.

The council will engage the local Ulema (clerics) and congregational prayer leaders in enlisting the food businesses and training them.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed on the occasion between the Director General Halal and Safe Food Authority KP and the Adviser PF to formalize cooperation for halal food awareness raising, capacity building, and research.