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Plea for effective

steps to protect

consumers

ISLAMABAD: Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) organised on Sunday the Second National Walk to commemorate World Consumer Rights Day.

The walk started at 10:30 a.m from the Faisal Chowk, Margalla Road and concluded at the Faisal Mosque bus stop with the closing address by Salman Humayun, and academic and Consumer Rights activits.

People from all walks of life including consumer groups, civil society activists, journalists, lawyers, academicians, students, and women participated in the walk.

Highlighting the plight of consumers in the country, Salman Humayun said consumers are relatively weak in relation to the market forces, multinational corporations and the state.

Therefore, he said, their interests need to be safeguarded both against the private and public sectors.

He told the participants that at present, there exist no quality standards for manfucturing of goods, commodities and services. "That is why markets are full of unsafe and hazardous goods, and the provision of services is ineffective," he said.

Salman added though there exists legislation for ensuring consumers protection, but they lack implementation. "Similarly, utility regulation frames are unable to regulate the services/utilities properly."

He urged the government to take adequate steps for ensuring maximum protection to consumers of various goods and services also stressing the need to observe the World Consumer Rights Day at official level.

Briefing the participants about CRCP's activities during last year, he said on the World Consumer Rights Day, CRCP has planned to launch a series of events.

It will present a model law for consumer protection to the Ministry of Law and Pakistan Law Commission proposing a comprehensive legislation for consumer protection covering all dimensions to consumer transactions.

He said book titled "Consumer Laws in Pakistan" would be launched that will serve as a ready reference for practising lawyers and legal practitioners.ÑAPP