Pakistan's halal meat exports remain concentrated in chilled and fresh beef and mutton, while industry leaders told a Karachi media roundtable that the country could unlock $40–50 billion in broader Halal exports if producers shift to value-added, internationally certified goods.
The briefing, held at the Pearl Continental Hotel in Karachi as a pre-event for Pakistan Halal Forum 2026, was themed “Beyond Compliance: The Next Generation of Halal Innovation.” It brought together government, private-sector and global Halal stakeholders.
Export gap and the December forum
Asad Sajjad, chairman of the organising committee for Pakistan Halal Forum 2026 and founder and CEO of the Halal Development Council, said Pakistan has the world’s second-largest Muslim population yet holds less than 1% of the $3 trillion global Halal economy. He said the forum aims to put government, the private sector and global bodies on one platform to unlock the $40–50 billion export potential, support small and medium enterprises (SMEs — smaller local firms) and build one National Halal Mark.
Sajjad said Pakistan has an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 Halal product companies that could help lift shipments into the global market. He announced that Pakistan Halal Forum 2026 will be held in December 2026. Briefing accounts differed slightly on scale: one put expected participation at over 30 countries with more than 100 exhibitors and international buyers; another said more than 35 countries, including exhibitors and buyers. He said the event would follow a public-private partnership model focused on value addition, investment and export facilitation, and would seek to position Pakistan as a global Halal hub rather than only a consumer market.
Why Pakistan's halal meat exports stay raw
Mufti Zeeshan Abdul Aziz, CEO of International Halal Certification (IHC — a body that issues Halal compliance certificates), said over 1,000 local companies have achieved international Halal certification. He argued that many Pakistani businesses still ship only chilled and fresh beef and mutton abroad and have not fully grasped the wider Halal product opportunity.
He listed regulatory barriers, weak laboratory testing capacity, certification hurdles, limited innovation, and poor marketing and branding as main obstacles. He also said Pakistani exporters appear reluctant to enter non-traditional markets in Central Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, and slow to join international expos, while countries such as India, Thailand, Brazil, Argentina, Malaysia, Indonesia and New Zealand have long pursued Halal product exports.
Halal beyond food, and next steps
Abdul Aziz said Halal is no longer limited to food and now serves as a global standard for quality, hygiene and safety across pharma, cosmetics, logistics, modest fashion and tourism. He pointed to technology-based trust tools such as QR code traceability, blockchain verification and AI-based audits. IHC’s global accreditation, he said, is accepted in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council states), Malaysia and Indonesia, which can help Pakistani products reach those markets.
Organisers’ near-term focus is the December 2026 forum, closer public-private coordination, SME support and a single National Halal Mark — steps they present as needed if Pakistan is to move Pakistan's halal meat exports and other Halal lines up the value chain.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan abhi zyada tar chilled aur fresh beef aur mutton bech raha hai, value-added certified maal kam. Experts kehte hain ke sahi certification aur branding se Halal exports $40–50 billion tak ja sakti hain. December 2026 mein Pakistan Halal Forum hoga jahan sarkar, business aur global bodies milengi. Aam logon ke liye seedha matlab yeh hai ke export badhe to factories aur SMEs mein kaam ke mauqe badh sakte hain.
