Growing Awareness of Consumers Rights in Pakistan Slug: Pakistan consumer Reporter: Malik Ayub Sumbal Date: 17/06/201 !

"#R$ Pun%ab pro&ince in Pakistan is consi'ere' to (a&e t(e country)s most progressi&e consumer council* along +it( a number o, 'istrict consumer courts.it( (un're's o, succes,ul cases +it(in t(e past ,e+ years* more an' more people are no+ turning to t(e council ,or (elp +it( t(eir consumer complaints#(e council e&en plans to establis( a one/stop/ser&ice ,or customers to complain an' to get more in,ormation on t(eir rig(tsMalik Ayub Sumbal takes a look at (o+ t(e 0ouncil +orks#12# 23/year/ol' #asa+ar "aeem is a labourer4is +as a &ictim o, malpractice5 +(en a (ospital nurse in%ecte' (im +it( t(e +rong me'icine4e broug(t (is case to t(e Pun%ab 0ounsumer 0ouncil t+o years ago#asa+ar "aeem 0lip 1 6Male* 7r'u8: 9A,ter a ,e+ (earings* t(e %u'ge impose' a ,ine o, :*000 7S 'ollars on t(e 'octors an' nurse- !t)s suc( a relie, t(at a country like Pakistan (as t(is kin' o, 'epartment to ,ig(t ,or t(e poor-; 4e)s not alone6/year/ol' (ouse +i,e* Mussarat <ounas* 'e&elope' a skin ras( ,rom a +ell kno+n bran' o, make/up s(e boug(t in a s(opMussarat <ounas 0lip 1 6=emale* 7r'u8: 9!t +as a (orrible e>perience* using an international bran' o, make/up +(ic( (a' e>pire'- ! +ent to t(e 0onsumer 0ouncil to claim ,or skin 'amage an' 'octor)s e>penses- #(e s(opkeeper +as ,oun' guilty o, keeping e>pire' goo's an' (a' to pay a ,ine o, 1*000 7S 'ollars-; S=2 1 Soun' o, &en'ors an' Soun's o, people s(opping in t(e market #(e Pun%ab ?o&ernment passe' a 0onsumer Rig(ts la+ in 2003Since t(en t(e Pun%ab 0onsumer Protection 0ouncil (as opene' up 'istrict/le&el o,,ices-

#(e bo'y consists o, go&ernment o,,icials an' e>perts on consumer protection:0/year/ol' A'nan @arin is one o, t(e e>perts* +(o (ea's t(e 0onsumer 0ouncil in Ra+alpin'iA'nan @arim 0lip 1 6Male* 1nglis(8: 9#(e 0onsumer is t(e largest community in t(e +orl' an' t(e initiati&e to launc( t(is organiAation +as really mar&elous by t(e ,ormer 0(ie, Minister o, Pun%ab- .e are pro&i'ing ma>imum a+areness among t(e consumers t(roug( me'ia* 'oor to 'oor a'&ertisement an' t(roug( +orks(ops- At t(e time +e launc(e' t(is organiAation t(ere +as no a+areness about t(e e>istence o, any suc( 'epartment but no+ +e (a&e (un're's o, cases* eac( 'ay-; !n total* t(e Pun%ab 0onsumer Protection 0ouncil (as taken on more t(an :3 t(ousan' cases--,rom complaints against courier companies to milk manu,acturesMostly in&ol&ing e>pire' or un(ygienic pro'uctsA'nan @arim e>plains (o+ t(e process +orks---A'nan @arim 0lip 2 6Male* 1nglis(8: 9!t)s a &ery easy +ay to submit a complaint by +riting t(e issue on a simple paper along +it( t(e signature- .e imme'iately issue t(e legal notice to t(e company or t(e person ,or pro&i'ing t(e ,aulty ser&ices or goo's- .it(in 13 'ays t(e company or t(e person is boun' to %usti,y it an' to satis,y t(e consumer ot(er+ise +e mo&e t(e case to t(e District 0onsumer 0ourt* +(ere a 'istrict an' %u'ge (ear t(e case-; Social acti&ist !%aA A(me' says* t(e 0onsumer 0ouncil (as mo&e' t(e society ,or+ar'--!%aA A(me' 0lip 1 6Male* 1nglis(8: 9#(e 0onsumer 0ouncils are basically a practice to empo+er an' strengt(en t(e consumers ,or an a+areness to+ar's t(eir rig(ts* especially t(e people ,rom Mi''le an' Bo+er Mi''le class in Pakistan-; S=2 2 Sa%i' Ma(moo'* 0* =ocal Person D0P0 is gi&ing in,ormation to t(e consumer)s a+areness in D0P0 o,,ice Ra+alpin'i#o raise people)s a+areness o, consumer)s rig(ts* t(e 0onsumer 0ouncil organises regular campaignsSa%i' Ma(mo'* is one o, t(e campaignersSa%i' Ma(moo' 0lip 1 6Male* 1nglis(8: 90onsumer must kno+ about t(eir legal rig(ts- .(en t(ey pay ,or t(e goo's an' ser&ices* t(ey 'eser&e ,or t(e Cuality- !, t(ey 'on)t get t(eir rig(ts* t(ey)re being sabotage'-; S=2 #assa+ar "aeem is talking +it( t(e 0ostumers at (is @iosk +(ere (e sells t(e ne+spapers* 'igests an' ot(er stationary items-

.it( t(e money (e recei&e' as compensation ,rom t(e (ospital* #as+ar (as opene' up (is o+n ne+spaper kiosk#asa+ar "aeem 0lip 2 6Male* 7r'u8: 9#(e court &er'ict enables me to (a&e t(is goo' %ob$t(er+ise +it( my 'isability* it +oul')&e been (ar' ,or me to ,ee' my ,amily-; =or Asia 0alling t(is is Malik Ayub Sumbal ,rom !slamaba'-