Except for Sindh, all the provinces have had laws for consumer protection since 1995. This anamoly has prompted a representative from a non-profit organisation to go to court.
The petition seeking the creation of such laws has been filed by Rana Faiz-ul Hasan who is with the United Human Rights Commission Pakistan (UHRCP). He argued on Friday that the month of fasting, Ramazan, is approaching and consumer protection laws are needed to punish people who hoard food, make undue profits and adulterate food among other illegal activities.
Justices Muhammad Athar Saeed and Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi asked Hasan to show to the court whether it can interfere in the matter and direct legislators to make a law or act. He was asked whether he approached any government authority or an elected representative to take up the issue and introduce a bill.
It so happened that a consitutional expert, Dr Farogh Naseem, was in the court room for another case when this one was being heard. He came to the petitioner’s rescue and drew the attention of the court towards a judgment passed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the famous “Hisba bill case”. He said that after this landmark judgment was passed, the powers of the superior courts have expanded and indeed such issues of public importance can be dealt by them. The bench then ordered its office to issue pre-admission notices to the Sindh chief and law secretaries, minister for industries and Karachi’s district co-ordination officer as well as the Advocate General of Sindh for July 19.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2011.
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