It is, indeed, gratifying to learn from a news report (10 November) that, at last, the Sindh Home Department, with the approval of the Governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad, has formed and notified a 15-member Consumer Rights Council, under Citizen-Police Liaison Committee.
The objectives of the Council, as now notified, are to enforce the pure food and drug laws and Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) standards, through the police and other law enforcing agencies.
Its terms of reference are to enforce, and implement existing pure food and drug laws and the PSQCA quality standards, through the police, and other law-enforcing agencies; and the existing laws, against counterfeiting and infringement of trade/property marks; to liaise with relevant government agencies, manufacturers, and merchants, to stop the manufacture, or sale, of adulterated food, drinks and drugs, and to satisfy itself that FIR is duly registered against the violators, and also to ensure that the concerned police officers do not refuse to register the FIRs.
Notably, the report, under reference, also has it that the Helpline Trust, which has been in the forefront of the struggle for the consumers' rights in the country, has welcomed the eagerly awaited initiative, hoping that it would prove instrumental in enlightening the consumers, who have remained ignorant of their inherent rights and the powers.
In so far as its deep involvement in consumer-related matters is concerned, mention may specifically be made to the Trust's appeal to the Governor of Sindh, as made only the other day, to activate the CRC, in order to protect the interests of the consumers.
Recalling that he had set up the body, on the lines of Citizen-Police Liaison Committee, some months back, it drew his attention to the grim fact that the body had not even met once since then, and that, consequently, the consumers have continued to be not only cheated, but also poisoned with the substandard, adulterated, and counterfeit products.
It also stated that the steep rise in the prices of essential items, and flooding of the market with substandard, adulterated, and counterfeit edibles, beverages and medicines, had to be attributed to a glaring lack of consumer protection, and enforcement of food and drug laws.
Initially, the council was to function in Karachi as a pilot project and later its scope was to be extended to entire Sindh. It was, as such, expected to check the blatant violations of Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority laws, existing food and drug laws and escalating prices of essential items, especially during the month of Ramazan, which did not happen to the desired extent. Reference was also made to the consumers' fond expectations of relief, through appropriate action against the manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers involved in malpractice's.
In this regard, it also pointed out that the manufacturers were using with abandon non-food grade plastics, colours and used tins and plastic bottles for packing food items and beverages, thereby fleecing consumers with glossy and misleading advertisements.
In its appeal to the Governor, the CPLC drew his attention to the Consumers Protection Ordinance, Sindh, which was signed as early as August 12, 2004, but as it could not be presented to the Provincial Assembly for ratification, it lapsed thereby leaving the province without a consumer's protection law. All in all, it will be noted that, evidently, convinced by CPLC pleading, the Governor seems to have deemed it expedient to activate CRC, and set an example for other provinces to follow.
The pivotal role the consumers play in a market-based economy, which we are trying to build beckons the governments, both at federal and provincial levels, to come up fast with enabling laws to awaken them to their rights and obligations in an objectively planned manner.
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