KARACHI, May 29: In the absence of any consumer protection laws and non-implementation of existing food and drug laws, an overwhelming majority of the country’s population is unaware of consumers’ rights. This has encouraged the manufacturers of substandard products to play havoc with lives of people.
This was observed at a seminar on Pakistan’s Need for Effective Consumer Protection Laws organized by Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) at its Vicky Zeitlin Media Library on Thursday.
“According to a recent survey, almost 40 per cent of consumer products in urban areas are substandard, adulterated or counterfeit while in rural areas, this practice has assumed an unprecedented proportion,” speakers pointed out.
Prominent among those who spoke at the seminar were Sindh Ombudsman Justice Haziqul Khairi, Chairman of Helpline Trust and Consumer Protection Society Hameed Maker, Director General of Pakistan Standards Quality Control Authority Khaqan Hasan, and Chairman of Chamber of Consumers Rana Azhar Ali.
Justice Haziqul Khairi said that unlike India, where consumer protection laws were introduced in 1985 and consumer courts established at federal, provincial and district levels to solace miseries of consumers, no such efforts were made in Pakistan.
He cited many instances of effective working of consumer courts which, without any discrimination, played a crucial role in taking up cases of aggrieved individuals and provided them relief and restored justice.
He disputed the claim by an earlier speaker that consumer laws existed in the country but the main issue was non-implementation. He pointed out that never any serious efforts were made to draft laws in this regard and ensure their implementation in letter and spirit.
The ombudsman pointed out that the 140 million people of the country were all consumers with the basic right of access to unadulterated food.
Hameed Maker said that Asian Development Bank had approved an enormous amount of $90 million for Sindh on condition that the provincial government introduced and implemented good governance laws, that include consumer protection laws, by June 2003.
“However, due to the government’s inaction in this regard, there stands apprehension that the amount would may not be released and this would be detrimental to the interest of the province,” he added.
Dr Khaqan Hasan, highlighting measures taken by the PSQCA to counter the scourge of substandard and counterfeit products, said that some two years back, samples were collected to check quality of food products following growing unrest among consumers. Committees were also formed for the purpose, he recalled.
“In the wake of the move, all substandard and unlicensed manufacturers were issued notices warning them to refrain from their illegal practices or face punitive action. This warning had helped control their unlawful activities,” he said.
Director of PPF Samina Ishaq also spoke at the seminar.—PPI
