Islamabad, May 22: Provision of consumer friendly environment to the citizens is the least priority of Federal and Sindh provincial governments. Despite the presence of consumer related laws and making commitments, both Federal and Sindh government have not taken any concrete measures to establish food authorities in their respective jurisdiction, this was said by Faisal Munir, senior research officer Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) in a statement.
Mr. Munir stated that Islamabad has the foremost consumer law Islamabad Consumer Protection Act 1995 whereas Sindh government has Sindh Consumer Protection Act 2014 .In both cases food authorities, consumer courts, and consumer councils were to be established in different shapes.
Mr. Ehsan Iqbal Federal Minister for Interior made commitment on 24th January, 2018 and Mr. Nisar Ahmed Khuhro Provincial Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Food, Sindh, made commitment on 26th March, 2018 that food authorities will be functional soon, but both the promises are yet to come true. This is really unfortunate that both governments have failed to provide any kind of protection to consumers, while their tenure is near to end, he added. Consumer Protection is the least priority of both governments that has left the citizens of Islamabad and Sindh at the mercy of merchants and they are left with no option but to buy sub-standard food items.
CPDI demanded federal government and Sindh provincial government to fulfil their promises before dissolution of assemblies and issue directives to establish their food authorities respectively. As the sitting governments have taken initiatives already, less efforts would be required to make them functional by coming governments.
About CPDI: Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) is an independent, non-partisan and not-for-profit registered civil society organization working on issues of development and peace in Pakistan.
