PM Shehbaz approves halal meat export policy to boost Pakistan's global market share

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has approved a new halal meat export policy aimed at increasing Pakistan’s share in the international halal meat market.

Under the reviewed policy, the prime minister directed that a three-year comprehensive strategy with practical steps be submitted within two weeks to significantly increase halal meat exports. The strategy will be prepared with full coordination among all relevant federal ministries and provincial governments to strengthen Pakistan’s position in Muslim and global markets.

He emphasised the need for actionable proposals to improve production, cold storage, and other key factors that affect Pakistan’s halal meat exports. The committee tasked with this will work to enhance livestock production according to international standards, improve food value, and establish organized centers to boost production and processing.

The prime minister also highlighted the importance of upgrading slaughterhouses to meet global standards and supporting them through certification and bilateral registration agreements with importing countries. This is expected to help expand Pakistan’s export share, not only in Muslim countries but also in the broader global market.

Officials noted that Pakistan’s halal meat industry has strong export potential and that steps to improve production and international-standard packaging are already underway. This policy move comes as Pakistan targets significant export growth — for example, a government plan aims to expand halal meat exports to Malaysia to $200 million over the next few years, a major opportunity for growth in the halal sector.