Consumer courts just for show as awareness about rights missing

A minimal number of cases are registered annually, yet there are pending cases which have not been decided for years

LAHORE:

Mantras like the customer is always right or customer is king have dominated the world ever since the rise of capitalism and have been aided by strong consumer protection laws but not so much in Pakistan.

In the country’s most populated province, a law to protect customers was introduced in 2005 with its rules being framed in 2009; and the implementation front of the legislation was assigned to Industries, Commerce, Investment & Skills Development Department Punjab (ICISDP).

Now nearly two decades later, the ICISDP’s disinterest in implementation and creating awareness can be gauged by the fact that as per the available record only a measly 1,200 to 1,400 approach the consumer courts in Punjab annually. Moreover, data obtained by The Express Tribune shows that for a province whose population has grown exponentially since 2007, only 48,740 cases have made it to the various consumer courts in the province in the same time frame - 46,624 of the total number of cases has been decided, while 2,300 are still pending.

It is pertinent to mention that there is no room for prolonged delays in consumer cases, since the Punjab Consumer Protection Act of 2005, mandates that the court is bound to take a decision within 6 months of a case being filed. However, the pendency of cases and the experiences of those who visit the consumer courts suggests that this timeline is not adhered to. For instance, Amjad Ali, a resident of Lahore, who had filed a case against a company for giving him a faulty refrigerator with high hopes of getting speedy justice, has been stuck in limbo for a while now. “It has been over a year since I have been visiting the court but neither has the court concluded the trial nor have I received any compensation from the company,” lamented Ali.

“Clearly, the rules, which state that a decision has to be given in 6 months, do not matter much.” When questioned about the plight of people like Ali, Director Punjab Consumer Protection Council, Mahmood Khan Bhatti, conceded that they were aware of the pending cases and were working to resolve them. “Cases which have been pending for the past 5 to 7 years will be decided soon,” reassured Bhatti.

When asked about the department’s poor performance in creating awareness amongst customers of the special courts or their rights, Bhatti acknowledged that there was barely any awareness amongst the public. “That is why the number of cases filed is low.”Concurring with Bhatti, Provincial Secretary of ICISDP, Ehsan Bhutta, was of the view that it was time for a renewed effort to protect the rights of the customer and increase awareness about the consumer courts.

“On this World Consumer Rights Day, the government will spread awareness among the consumers about these courts and councils at the district level,” informed Bhutta while talking to The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10^th, 2023.