15 October 2004	Friday	29 Shaban 1425

ISLAMABAD, Oct 14: There are no laws in Pakistan that could protect the rights of consumers against substandard, adulterated and counterfeit products.

This was stated by Islamabad Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Tariq Sadiq in a statement issued on Thursday.

He said where there were certain laws in place, their implementation was 'unsatisfactory', and, hence, a matter of concern. Citing a few examples of violation of quality control and standardization that have come to the notice of the ICCI, Mr Sadiq said milk was one of the basic human necessity. However, he said, pure milk had become a rare commodity these days.

"More than 30 million tons of milk is produced in the country, and 27 million tons is consumed by our population, while the remaining quantity is wasted. Thousands of litres of milk is transported in unhygienic plastic containers which are originally used for carrying chemicals," he said.

The ICCI president said both the public and private sector institutions needed to initiate extensive campaigning to create awareness among people about the health hazards posed by consumption of adulterated and substandard food products.