HARIPUR: The local consumer protection court has decided a record number of 2,308 complaints during the last three years, says a report.

The report was issued by the office of the registrar of Haripur Consumer Protection Court, Abdul Haseeb, on the occasion of world consumer day here on Saturday.

The consumer court judge, Muneera Abbasi, led a walk on the premises of the court that was attended by the court staff and lawyers.

According to the report, the consumer court decided 2,308 cases during the last three years. The cases included 83 commercial disputes and the rest were related to consumers’ rights against retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, food industries, pharmaceutical companies, courier companies, private schools and government entities like Pesco, Environment Protection Agency and sports department.

Most of the cases were disposed of under alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and mediation in the guidelines of the Holy Quran, directives from the apex and high court and Consumer Protection law and Resolution of Commercial Disputes Act, 2022.

Complaints related to overbilling and overcharging of consumers by Pesco, spurious drugs, substandard food items, poor services by private courier services, post office, insufficient facilities and fee collection against private educational institutions, industrial pollution, disposal of solid waste and other consumers-related cases were filed and decided by providing relief to complainants in a speedy manner.

According to the report, the consumer court, headed by Judge Muneera Ashraf Abbasi, has not only provided speedy and free of cost justice to people but has also helped to lessen the burden of cases on civil courts together with saving the time and litigation-related expenses of complainants that usually incur on engaging lawyers.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2025

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