Firstly, the family faced problems in filing the FIR against the restaurant. The police refused to do so until it was confirmed that the toxic burger had indeed been the cause of the child’s death. The delay led to problems in sending the sample of the burger for chemical examination and then obtaining its results. These delays could have easily been taken advantage of and it is a mercy that there was no attempt made to influence the findings of the examination report. It was later reported that the restaurant reopened nearly two hours after it was sealed, giving the impression that the initial shutdown was merely a gimmick meant for public consumption. Following media coverage, the restaurant was hurriedly closed again. The authorities need to ensure the restaurant remains shut otherwise lives of countless people could be at risk. This tragedy and the ensuing hardship could have all been avoided if Sindh had effective health codes and consumer protections laws in place. While Sindh lawmakers finally enacted a consumer rights bill last week, they need to ensure that it is approved into law and is implemented immediately. What is also needed is the setting up of consumer courts to ensure accountability for businesses which do not follow basic health and safety codes. In this regard, Sindh needs to follow Punjab’s example, where consumer courts provide an avenue to the general public to hold businesses accountable for poor performance.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2015.
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