KARACHI: The Director General of the Pakistan Halal Authority (PHA), Akhtar A. Bughio, has visited the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) at the University of Karachi.

Prof. Dr. Farzana Shaheen, Director of the ICCBS, University of Karachi, and Prof. Dr. Syed Ghulam Musharraf, Incharge of the Halal Certification, Testing, and Research Services (HCTRS), welcomed the PHA Director General to the center.

It is worth mentioning that the Pakistan Halal Authority, established under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST), is responsible for always ensuring the Halal status of products, processes, and services in the local market.

A spokesperson for ICCBS stated on Wednesday that during his visit, the DG PHA held a meeting with Prof. Dr. Farzana Shaheen, Prof. Dr. Syed Ghulam Musharraf, and Mufti Dr. Syed Arif Ali Shah, General Manager of HCTRS.

During the meeting, Akhtar A. Bughio commended ICCBS’s contributions to science and research and expressed satisfaction with HCTRS’s performance in Halal testing. He discussed the potential of selecting HCTRS as a food testing and Halal analysis lab for PHA in the future. He also expressed a keen interest in signing a Memorandum of Understanding between PHA and HCTRS at the ICCBS.

Earlier, Prof. Dr. Farzana Shaheen gave a detailed briefing on the extensive scientific and research activities carried out at ICCBS, University of Karachi.

Prof. Dr. Syed Ghulam Musharraf highlighted that HCTRS is the only public-sector research institution in Pakistan providing Halal certification services, demonstrating its commitment to excellence and quality in laboratory operations.

In conclusion, Prof. Dr. Farzana Shaheen thanked the DG Pakistan Halal Authority for visiting the international center.