Consumer Protection Laws In Pakistan: Implication For Government Service Providers

Abstract

Consumers are Pakistan's most vulnerable population, partly due to a lack of awareness of their legal rights and remedies, and partly due to inconsistencies in the Consumer Protection Laws in effect in the Federal Capital and all four provinces, namely Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pakhtoonkwa. Fair trade competition, the free flow of accurate information in the marketplace, the sale of standardized commodities, goods, and edibles, and comprehensive provisions for consumer courts to ensure that justice is delivered quickly and fairly are all goals of consumer protection laws in any developed country. In the Islamabad Capital Territory and all four provinces, the Islamabad Consumer Protection Act 1995, the N.W.F.P Consumer Protection Act 1997, the Balochistan Consumer Protection Act 2003, the Punjab Consumer Protection Act 2005, and the Sindh Consumer Protection Ordinance 2007 are currently in effect. There is no unified consumer protection hierarchy for the settlement of consumer disputes because all five laws place the original and appellate jurisdictions in separate judicial and executive agencies. The goal of this study is to look into the role of criminal law in defending consumer rights, as well as the applicability of consumer laws to government service providers in Pakistan and the ramifications of a government employee being convicted under consumer protection legislation.