KARACHI, Feb 19: Ombudsman of Sindh, Justice Haziqul Khairi, has underlined the need for early enactment of the consumers protection ordinance in Sindh, and its implementation including formation of consumer courts.
Speaking as chief guest at a seminar on the “Lack of Enforcement of Food Laws,” organised by the Helpline Trust at a local hotel on Tuesday, the Ombudsman said that his office had made a number of recommendations to the government to control adulteration in food items.
He said he had taken suo moto action against the use of Supari and Gutka, and the provincial government had taken action in that regard.
Moreover, he said, he had also taken suo moto notice of the sale of unhygienic meat in Karachi, and a committee consisting had been constituted to formulate recommendations in that regard.
However, he said, he had not succeeded in getting toilets constructed at public places due to shortage of funds in the agencies concerned.
Speaking on the occasion, director general of the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), Dr Syed Khaqan Hassan, said the adoption of Pakistan Standards by the local industry was voluntary, but it was mandatory for manufacturers of some items to adopt the Pakistan Standards.
The government has so far included 46 items including food items like edible oils, banaspati ghee, margarine, biscuits, natural mineral and bottled drinking water in the list of mandatory compliance of Pakistan Standards.
Dr Khaqan said that under the PSQCA Act-IV of 1996 the manufacturers of those items under the Certification Marks Scheme needed registration and licenses to manufacture.
He further said that recently the standards for the banaspati ghee and edible oils had been revised and various requirements for packing and labelling of those items had been included.
Speaking on the occasion, THT chief Abdul Hamid Maker said that a recent survey had revealed that over 40% of the consumer products available in Karachi were substandard, counterfeit or adulterated. “This figure exceeds 60% for other cities of Pakistan,” he added.
Maker said that food poisoning, stomach ulcers and disorders and other diseases were common in the country because of consumption of adulterated food.—APP