End of Consumer Courts puts fair trade at risk

As the government announces the closure of 17 consumer courts, cases of more than 15,000 consumers will be transferred to the sessions judge's courts, where millions of cases are already pending for years.

The Consumer Protection Act has been in place since 2005, under which 1,500 to 2,000 consumers from Punjab used to approach the consumer courts every month, seeking justice for defective products, unfair contracts or poor service. These courts were functioning across 17 different districts including Lahore, Sahiwal, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, Rawalpindi, Sialkot. Gujrat, Gujranwala, Bahawalpur. Sargodha, Faisalabad. Bhakkar, Bahawalnagar, Layyah, Mianwali, Rahim Yar Khan and Mandi Bahauddin.

Faisal Khan, Amjad Ali and Mashaq Lodhi, revealed that they had filed cases in the consumer court for a faulty fridge, AC and computer, however, the company was not ready to pay damages. "Now, after the abolishment of consumer courts, we will be stuck waiting for years," said the three plaintiffs.

Similarly, Tariq Rashid, another plaintiff, shared that he had filed a case against an LED supplier in the consumer court. "The case has been going on for years, but the company does not show up. Now, we have come to know that the court has been abolished and the cases will go to the sessions court next month," lamented Rashid.

Sympathizing with the consumers, Khizar Iqbal, an advocate representing consumer's cases, pointed out the fact that district courts were already overburdened with cases. "The number of pending cases across the province amounts to lakhs. In such a situation, if a law transfers the work of consumer courts to local courts, consumers will be deprived of timely justice," emphasized Iqbal.

According to Former Vice President Lahore High Court Bar Association Rabia Bajwa, consumer courts were serving the purpose of ensuring fair trade to buyers across Punjab, who were given a chance to voice their complaints.

"Instead of transferring consumer cases to the overburdened lower courts, the consumer courts should have been improved. Unfortunately, however, the system is not interested in protecting the fundamental socio-economic rights of the people. Little relief and some degree of justice was being given to people through consumer courts but now this too will not happen," said Bajwa.

Records obtained by The Express Tribune have revealed that during the past 18 years since the Consumer Act 2007 was passed, more than 90,000 cases have been filed in the consumer courts of the province, out of which more than 72,000 have been resolved. Furthermore, the Directorate of Consumer Protection Council Punjab reported that a total of 17,970 cases were filed in the existing consumer courts in the last three years alone, on which more than Rs1 billion was spent.

Rao Muhammad Afzal, Assistant Director Consumer Protection Council Punjab, revealed that the amount spent on one case, Rs117,167, was becoming a huge burden on the treasury. "Nearly Rs152 million has been spent resolving more than 1,514 cases from 2022-23. "The transfer of cases from consumer courts to local courts will reduce government expenditure," said Afzal.

Conversely, Amina Malik, Head of an NGO advocating for consumer rights, opposed Afzal's views. "Additional expenditures should not be a concern since it is the responsibility of the government to spend money on issues involving public welfare. The only problem with these courts was that despite being established for 20 years, the common people were not aware of their existence," noted Malik.