PUNJAB HALAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY ACT 2016

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THE PUNJAB HALAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY ACT 2016 
(LVI of 2016) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 
2. Definitions 
3. Establishment of the Agency 
4. Terms of office of members 
5. Removal of members 
6. Functions of the Agency 
7. Registrar 
8. Domestic Halal Certificate 
9. Certification of Inspection Bodies  
10. Inspectors 
11. Authentication of orders and other instruments of the Agency 
12. Power to obtain information 
13. Duty of disclosure  
14. Prohibition of improper use of Halal logo  
15. Prohibition of use of certain name, mark or logo  
16. Marketing of Halal products  
17. Penalty 
18. Cognizance of offence  
19. Appeals 
20. Appointment of officers, staff, etc  
21. Members and officers etc. to be public servants 
22. Delegation of powers 
23. Fund 
 
 
24. Budget 
25. Audit and accounts 
26. Directions by the Government 
27. Protection of actions taken in good faith 
28. Reports 
29. Power to make rules 
30. Power to frame regulations 
31. Power to exempt 
32. Saving 
 
 
 
TEXT 
1
THE PUNJAB HALAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY ACT 2016 
(LVI of 2016) 
[6th December 2016] 
An 
Act 
to establish the Punjab Halal Development Agency to regulate and promote the trade 
of halal food and non-food products in the Punjab. 
 It is necessary to establish Punjab Halal Development Agency to promote the 
trade of halal food and non -food products, to regulate halal processes o f trade and 
commerce in the Province and to ensure the implementation of uniform Halal 
Standards and directions of the Pakistan Halal Authority ; and, to deal with ancillary 
matters. 
Be it enacted by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as follows:– 
1. Short title, extent and commencement .– (1) This Act may be cited as the 
Punjab Halal Development Agency Act 2016. 
(2) It extends to whole of the Punjab. 
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by 
notification, specify and different dates may be so specified for different areas. 
2. Definitions.– (1) In this Act: 
(a) “Act” means the Punjab Halal Development Agency Act 2016; 
(b) “Accredited Body” means a body to which Pakistan National 
Accreditation Council has accorded formal recognition tha t the body is 
competent to carry out specified tasks; 
(c) “Agency” means the Punjab Halal Development Agency established 
under section 3 of the Act; 
(d) “Authority” means the Pakistan Halal Authority established under the 
Pakistan Halal Authority Act, 2016 (VIII of 2016);  
(e) "article" means any substance, artificial or natural, or partly artificial and 
partly natural, whether partly or wholly processed, or a manufactured 
product, and any service or financial product offered to the public; 
(f) "Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the Agency; 
(g) “Domestic Halal Certificate” means the permit to use Halal logo issued 
by the Agency; 
(h) “food” includes every article manufactured, sold or represented for use 
as food or drink for human consumption or which ent ers into or is used 
                                                           
1This Act was passed by the Provinc ial Assembly of the Punjab on 1  December 2016; assented to by the Governor of the 
Punjab on 5  December 2016; and, was published in the Punjab Ga zette (Extraordinary), dated: 6  December 2016, pp.2903-
2910. 
 
 
in the composition, preparation, preservation of any food or drink and 
includes confectionery, chewing substances and any ingredient of such 
food, drink, confectionery or chewing substances; 
(i) “food premises” means the premises used f or, or in connection with, 
preparation, preservation, packaging, storage, conveyance, distribution 
or sale of any food or the re -labelling, reprocessing or reconditioning of 
any food;  
(j) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; 
(k) "halal" means anyt hing which is not  haram or najis and is considered 
halal by the laws of Islam;  
(l) "Halal Certificate" means the certificate issued by the Agency to the 
effect that an article or process is in conformity with the Halal Standard 
pertaining thereto, and aut horizing use of the Halal logo in respect 
thereof;  
(m) "Halal Certification" means the entire process of conformity 
assessment including audit, inspection, testing, and evaluation to 
establish that an article or process is in conformity with the Halal 
Standard, resulting in issue of a Halal Certificate; 
(n) “Inspection Body” means a person or body of persons certified by the 
Agency to act as Inspection Body under the Act; 
(o) “manufacturer” includes a person or entity who: 
(i) is in the business of manufac turing food or a product for purposes of 
trade or commerce within the Province; 
(ii) labels food or a product as his own or who otherwise presents himself 
as the manufacturer of the food or product; 
(iii) as a seller, exercises control over the design, con struction or quality of 
the food or a product that causes damage; 
(iv) assembles food or a product by incorporating into his product a 
component or part manufactured by another manufacturer; and 
(v) is a seller of a food or product of a foreign manufacture r and assumes 
or administers warranty obligations of the product, or affiliated with the 
foreign manufacturer by way of partial or complete ownership control, 
or modifies or prepares a food or a product for sale or distribution; 
(p) "prescribed" means prescribed by the rules or regulations made under 
the Act; 
(q) "process" means a series of steps for the production, manufacture or 
development of any article or system; 
(r) “product" has the same meaning as assigned to the word "goods" in 
the Sale of Goods Ac t, 1930 (III of 1930), and includes products which 
have been subsequently incorporated into another product but does 
not include animals or plants or natural fruits and other raw products, in 
their natural state, that are derived from animals or plants; 
(s) “Province” means Province of the Punjab; 
 
 
(t) “Registrar” means Registrar of the Agency; 
(u) "regulations" mean regulations framed under the Act; and 
(v) "rules" mean rules made under the Act. 
(2) A word or expression used in the Act but not defined herein shall have 
the meaning assigned to it in the Pakistan Halal Authority Act, 2016 (VIII of 2016). 
3. Establishment of the Agency.– (1) The Government may, by notification 
in the official Gazette, establish the Punjab Halal Development Agency for 
carrying out the purposes of this Act. 
 (2) The Agency shall be a body corporate having perpetual 
succession and a common seal, with powers, subject to the provisions of the 
Act, to acquire and hold property, both movable and immovable, and shall by the 
said name sue and be sued. 
(3) The headquarters of the Agency shall be at Lahore and it may, with 
the prior approval of the Government, set up offices at such other places as may be 
required. 
(4) The Agency shall consist of the Chairperson to be nominated by the 
Government and the following members: 
(a) Secretary to the Government, Auqaf and Religious Affairs 
Department; 
(b) Secretary to the Government, Industries, Commerce and Investment 
Department; 
(c) Secretary to the Government, Livestock and Dairy Development 
Department; 
(d) Secretary to the Government, Agriculture Department; 
(e) Secretary to the Government, Food Department; 
(f) six eminent citizens who have expertise in the field of food technology 
and nutrition sciences, pharmaceuticals, religious affairs  or poultry and 
livestock industry to be nominated by the Government; and 
(g) Registrar (member/Secretary). 
(5) The Chairperson shall preside  the meetings of the Agency; but, in the 
absence of the Chairperson, the members present at a meeting shall elect one of the 
members to preside that meeting. 
(6) No act or proceeding of the Agency shall be invalid merely on the 
ground of existence of any vacancy or defect in the constitution of the Agency.  
4. Terms of office of members. – (1) A member, other than an ex-officio 
member, shall hold office for a period of three years from the date of assuming 
office. 
(2) A member other than an ex-officio member may, at any time, resign 
his office by writing under his hand addressed to the Government.  
 
 
5. Removal of members. – The Gov ernment may, after affording an 
opportunity of hearing, remove a member, other than an ex-officio member, if he:  
(a)  has been adjudged an undischarged insolvent; or  
(b) has been convicted of an offence which involves moral turpitude; or 
(c) has become physically or mentally incapable of acting as a member; or 
(d) has abused his position as a member and rendered his continuance in 
the office prejudicial to the public interest.  
6. Functions of the Agency. – (1) The Agency shall generally assist the 
Authority in the performance of its functions. 
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing powers and subject 
to the provisions of this Act, the Agency shall: 
(a) maintain a continuing working relationship and coordinate with the 
Authority, international  forums, entities and organizations to promote 
halal concept and certification; 
(b) develop procedure and auditing system for implementation of Halal 
Standards and certification; 
(c) issue domestic halal certificate, certifying that the products listed are  
Halal; 
(d) issue Halal License certifying that the plant, production facility, food 
premises, slaughterhouse or abattoir, or the establishment handling 
food has been approved to produce, distribute or market halal food and 
the items listed therein; 
(e) implement the certification process and procedure for the appointment 
of Inspection Bodies; 
(f) grant and revoke license of certified Inspection Bodies and maintain list 
of such bodies;  
(g) maintain a register of all approved bodies to be called the Provinc ial 
Register of the Halal approved bodies;  
(h) authorize use of the halal logo by the halal certificate holders;  
(i) recommend the Authority to suspend or revoke the halal certificate 
issued by the Authority for export or import or inter -provincial 
commerce; 
(j) develop the capacity of all stakeholders for development of the Halal 
products and certification system through national and international 
coordination and support; 
(k) arrange and conduct public awareness campaign for promotion of halal 
sector; and 
(l) perform such other functions as may be assigned by the Government. 
7. Registrar.– (1) There shall be a Registrar of the Agency who shall be the chief 
executive of the Agency and who shall be appointed by the Government on such 
 
 
terms and conditions a s are prescribed and until so prescribed as the Government 
may determine. 
(2) The Registrar shall discharge such duties and perform such 
functions as are assigned to him by the Agency or Government.  
8. Domestic Halal Certificate.– (1) A person or body may apply for: 
(a) Domestic Halal Certificate for its product;   
(b) Halal Licence for plant production facility or abattoir; and 
(c) permission to use the Halal logo.  
(2) An application for obtaining Domestic Halal Certificate shall be made to 
the Agency in such form and be accompanied by such fee and shall contain such 
information as may be prescribed. 
(3) The Agency shall evaluate the application in accordance with the 
prescribed criteria and shall assign it to its Auditor and Shariah Department or to a 
Licensed Certified Inspection Body to audit the product or process or plant 
production facility or abattoir of the applicant as the case may be and shall submit 
audit report within the prescribed time. 
(4) On receipt of the report, t he Agency may issue the Do mestic Halal 
Certificate or Halal Licence subject to such conditions as may be prescribed and until 
so prescribed as the Agency may deem appropriate.  
(5) The Domestic Halal Certificate or Halal Licence shall be valid for one 
year and may be renewed by the Agency in the prescribed manner.  
(6) An application for renewal of the Certificate shall be submitted to the 
Agency, at least, three months prior to the date of expiry of the Certificate or Halal 
Licence. 
(7) The body or person in whose name the Domestic  Halal Certificate or 
Halal Licence is registered shall keep the record of the business as mentioned in the 
Act or as prescribed and shall make such record available to any official authorised 
by the Agency or the Authority for purposes of implementation o f the provisions of 
this Act or the Pakistan Halal Authority Act 2016(VIII of 2016). 
(8) If at any time, after issuance of the Domestic Halal Certificate or Halal 
Licence, the Agency is satisfied, either on a reference made to it in this behalf by any 
person or otherwise, that: 
(a) the Halal business is not being conducted in accordance with the 
provisions of the Act; or 
(b) the licence granted by it has been obtained by misrepresentation or 
suppression of material facts; or 
(c) there is an adverse material change in the conditions in which the halal 
products are being processed, manufactured or made, 
the Agency may order special inspection by the Inspector or by the Certified 
Inspection Body who shall submit the inspection report and the Agency may, after 
giving due notice and after affording an opportunity of hearing may cancel or 
suspend the licence for such period as it may determine. 
 
 
(9) The Agency shall have the power to suspend the Domestic Halal 
Certificate or Halal Licence where the circumstances so warrant after obtaining 
special report and providing an opportunity of hearing to the holder of Domestic Halal 
Certificate or Halal Licence.   
9. Certification of Inspection Bodies. – (1) A person or body may apply for a 
licence to act as Certified Inspecti on Body by submitting an application and on 
payment of fee as may be prescribed by the Agency. 
(2) The Agency shall maintain a list of the Inspection Bodies in the 
prescribed manner. 
(3) If, at any time, after issuance of the licence to act as an  Inspection 
Body, the Agency is satisfied either on a reference made to it in this behalf or 
otherwise, that: 
(a) the licence granted by it has been obtained by misrepresentation or 
suppression of material facts; or 
(b) there is an adverse material change in the con ditions in which the 
licence to act as Inspection Body was granted, 
the Agency may, after giving due notice and after affording an opportunity of hearing, 
cancel or suspend the licence, as the case may be,  for the period it may deem 
appropriate. 
10. Inspectors.– (1) The Agency may appoint Inspectors, having the prescribed 
qualifications, for the purpose of enforcement of this Act or rules or regulations made 
thereunder. 
(2) Subject to the Act and rules or regulations, an Inspector shall have 
powers to: 
(a) inspect any operation carried on in connection with any article or 
product or action or process in relation to Halal Certification;  
(b) take samples of any article, or of any material or substance used in any 
article or process, in relation to which Halal logo has been used; 
(c) seize and detain for such time as may be necessary, any article to 
which he believes any provision of the Act has been contravened; and 
(d) stop, search or seize any transport vehicle in which he believes on 
reasonable ground that any article is being transported which does not 
conform to Halal Standards and certification. 
(3) Every Inspector, at the time of inspection, must hold the identification 
card which shall be produced on demand. 
(4) A person who obstructs or impedes the per formance of duties by an 
Inspector or an officer authorized by the Agency shall be guilty of an offence 
punishable under section 17 of the Act. 
(5) An article seized under subsection (2) may be kept or stored in the 
premises where it is seized or may be re moved to any other place or appropriately 
disposed of in case of its perishable nature, or as an Inspector may deem 
appropriate. 
 
 
 
(6) The Inspector shall release any article seized by him under subsection 
(2) if he is satisfied that all the requirements of the Act stand complied with. 
(7) Any person who removes, alters, or interferes in any way with an article 
seized by an Inspector shall be guilty of an offence punishable under section 17 of 
the Act. 
(8) A person who knowingly makes any false or misleading statement 
either verbally or in writing to the Agency or an Inspection Body or Inspector, 
engaged in carrying out duties under the Act, shall be guilty of an offence punishable 
under section 17 of the Act. 
11. Authentication of orders and other instruments  of the Agency. – All 
orders, decisions, instruments and notifications issued by the Agency shall be 
authenticated with signatures of an officer or officers authorized by the Agency in 
this behalf.  
12. Power to obtain information. – Every holder of a Halal C ertificate or Halal 
License shall provide to the Agency such information and such samples of an article 
or material or substance used in relation to any article or process as the Agency may 
require. 
13. Duty of disclosure. – Every manufacturer of an article , food or a product 
shall, on the wrapper, bottle or container containing such article, food or product, 
disclose its components, parts, ingredients, quality, date of manufacture, date of 
expiry and the fact that the article, food or product is halal.  
14. Prohibition of improper use of Halal logo. – No person shall use, in 
relation to any article, product or process or in the title of any patent or in any 
trademark or design, the Halal logo except  under the terms of a Domestic Halal 
Certificate or Halal Lice nce issued under this Act.  
15. Prohibition of use of certain name, mark or logo. – No person shall, 
without the previous permission of the Agency, and subject to such conditions as 
the Agency may impose, use, in any manner whatsoever, any name, mark or 
logo which resembles the name, mark or logo of the Agency or contains an 
expression or any abbreviation of such expression relating to Halal Standards 
recognized by the Agency.  
16. Marketing of Halal products. – No food or non -food product shall be 
marketed or offered for sale with the description or representation of being a 
halal article or product within the Province unless it bears the Halal logo of the 
Agency.  
17. Penalty.– (1) A person who contravenes the provisions of the sections 13, 
14, 15 and 16 of thi s Act shall be punished with imprisonment of either 
description for a term which may extend to three years, or with a fine which may 
extend to one million rupees but which shall not be less than one hundred 
thousand rupees, or with both.  
(2) A person who contravenes any of the provisions of this Act, or any 
rule made or notification issued thereunder shall, if no other penalty elsewhere 
is provided under the Act or any other law for the time being in force, be 
 
 
punished with imprisonment of either descripti on for a term which may extend to 
one year, or with a fine up to five hundred thousand rupees but which shall not 
be less than fifty thousand rupees, or with both.  
(3) A court convicting a person under subsection (1) may direct that 
the articles, in respec t of which the contravention is made, be forfeited to the 
Government.  
18. Cognizance of offence. – (1) No court shall take cognizance of an offence 
under this Act except on a complaint by an officer authorized by the Agency.  
(2) No court inferior to that of  Magistrate of the First Class shall try an 
offence punishable under the Act. 
19. Appeals.– A person aggrieved by an order of the Agency may prefer an 
appeal to the Government within thirty days of the date of such order in the 
prescribed manner.  
20. Appointment of officers, staff, etc. – (1) The Agency may, from time to 
time, create posts and appoint such officers, staff, experts or consultants as it 
may consider necessary for the performance of its functions, on such terms and 
conditions as may be prescrib ed but the appointment in basic pay scale 18 or 
above shall be made with the previous approval of the Government.  
(2) The officers of the Agency shall have such powers and shall perform 
such functions as may be assigned to them by the Agency, Chairperson or Registrar. 
21. Members and officers etc. to be public servants. – The Registrar, 
members, officers, staff, experts and consultants of the Agency shall, when acting 
or purporting to act in pursuance of any of the provisions of this Act, be deemed to 
be pub lic servants within the meaning of section 21 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 
1860 (XLV of 1860).  
22. Delegation of powers. – The Agency may, by a general or special order 
and subject to such conditions as it may deem appropriate, delegate to a member 
or an off icer any of its powers or functions under this Act.  
23. Fund.– (1) The Agency shall create a  Fund to be known as the Punjab 
Halal Development Agency Fund.  
(2) The Fund shall vest in, and be utilized by, the Agency to meet its 
expenses in connection with th e performance of functions under this Act.  
(3) The Fund shall consist of the following:  
(a) grants made by the Federal Government or the Government;  
(b) loans, aid, donations and contributions received from foreign 
governments, national or international ag encies and non -
governmental and private organizations, with the approval of the 
Government; and  
(c) fees and other income received by the Agency.  
(4) All sums payable to the Agency may be recovered as arrears of 
land revenue under the Punjab Land Revenue A ct, 1967 (XVII of 1967). 
 
 
24. Budget.– The Agency shall, in respect of each financial year, submit for 
approval of Government, by such date as may be prescribed, a statement of the 
estimated receipts and expenditure, including requirements of foreign exchang e 
for the next financial year.  
25. Audit and accounts. – (1) The Agency shall maintain its accounts in such 
manner as may be prescribed and until so prescribed as is applicable to a 
Government department. 
(2) The accounts of the Agency shall be audited ever y year by the Auditor 
General of Pakistan.  
26. Directions by the Government. – The Government may issue such 
directions to the Agency as may be necessary to accomplish the objectives of 
the Agency and the Agency shall comply with such directions.  
27. Protection of actions taken in good faith. – No suit, prosecution or other 
legal proceeding shall lie against the Government or the Agency or any person 
acting under authority of the Government or the Agency for anything which is in good 
faith done or intended to  be done in pursuance of this Act or the rules or the 
regulations made thereunder. 
28. Reports.– (1) As soon as may be after the end of every financial year but 
before the last day of September, the Agency shall submit to the Government, a 
report on the conduct of its affairs and its future plans. 
(2) The Government may, after giving sufficient notice, require the Agency 
to furnish any report, document, return, statement, estimate, statistics, or other 
information regarding any matter or subject concerning the Agency. 
29. Power to make rules. – The Government may, by notification in the official 
Gazette, make rules for carrying out purposes of this Act. 
30. Power to frame regulations. – Subject to this Act and the rules, the Agency 
may frame regulations to give effect to the provisions of the Act. 
31. Power to exempt .– The Government may, by notification in the official 
Gazette, exempt any article or class of articles from operation of all or any of the 
provisions of this Act. 
32. Saving.– The provisions of the  Act shall be in addition to and not in 
derogation of the Pakistan Halal Authority Act, 2016 (VIII of 2016).