Consumer protection is a form of government regulation which protects the interests of

consumers. For example, a government may require businesses to disclose detailed

information about products—particularly in areas where safety or public health is an
issue, such as food. Consumer protection is linked to the idea of consumer rights (that
consumers have various rights as consumers), and to the formation of consumer
organizations which help consumers make better choices in the marketplace.Consumer
interests can also be protected by promoting competition in the markets which directly
and indirectly serve consumers, consistent with economic efficiency, but this topic is
treated in Competition law.
Consumer protection can also be asserted via non-government organizations and
individuals as consumer activism.
Consumer lawConsumer protection law or consumer law is considered an area of public
law that regulates private law relationships between individual consumers and the
businesses that sell those goods and services. Consumer protection covers a wide range of
topics, including but not necessarily limited to product liability, privacy rights, unfair
business practices, fraud, misrepresentation, and other consumer/business
interactions.Such laws deal with credit repair, debt repair, product safety, service
contracts, bill collector regulation, pricing, utility turnoffs, consolidation, personal loans
that may lead to bankruptcy and much more.

United States
Consumer protection laws often mandate the posting of notices, such as this one which
appears in all automotive repair shops in California. In the United States a variety of laws
at both the federal or state levels regulate consumer affairs. Among them are the federal
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Truth in Lending Act,
Fair Credit Billing Act, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Federal consumer protection
laws are mainly enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of
Justice
The consumers are being exploited for they are largely unaware of their rights as well as
ignorant about the possible legal remedies available. Keeping with its objective of equipping
the consumer movement in Pakistan with pertinent legislation and statutes for consumer
protection, and making the citizens aware of the existing laws, which directly or indirectly deal
with consumers, CRCP has planned a series of compilations of these laws, along with a brief
commentary on them.
Consumer Laws in Pakistan (Volume I) is the first publication of this series. Various consumer-
related laws are compiled and reviewed in it. It covers Consumer Protection Legislation
(including Islamabad Consumer Protection Act, 1995 and NWFP Consumer Protection Act,
1997), State/Administrative Regulation (including Wafaqi Mohtasib [Ombudsman] order,
1983), Regulatory Frameworks (including National Electric Power Regulatory Authority,
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Natural Gas Regulatory Authority), Law on
Standards and Quality (including Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority Act, 1996),
Drug Laws (including Drugs Act, 1940, Drugs Act, 1976 and Pakistan Penal Code, 1860) and
Food Laws (including West Pakistan Pure Food Ordinance, 1960, Cantonments Pure Food Act,
1966, Pakistan Hotels and Restaurants Act, 1976 and Pakistan Penal Code, 1860). The book
treats the consumer-related legislation under separate categories. Extracts of the text of each
Act are given followed by comments
1-CPCR
GCPCR is a short form of the Committee to Protect Consumer Rights. By resolutions of
joint meeting of the Managing Board on 20th June 2001 a Permanent Committee is
constituted for the protection, promotion and enforcement of Consumer Rights in
Pakistan.
The reference of objective activities of CPCR are research, prepare comparative study,
receive complaints, forward to the relevant government authorities, demand for
legislation where it does not exists, communicate with the person or persons, organization
or organizations, association or associations who deemed to be the violator and who
deemed to be the authority to resolve the matter and to demand and to do or cause to be
done all or any act which lead to promote, protect and to enforce the consumer rights in
Pakistan
2-Telecom Consumers Association, Pakistan (TCPA) that represents them and guides
them in telecom related issues. The Association would make demands on these
companies on behalf of telecom consumers. If a company does not behave, it
can ask its members to boycott such company.

The Association can take up following functions:

1. It can create awareness among consumers about their rights with special focus on
telecom consumers.
2. It can conduct quality and popularity surveys independently and let the consumers know
which company offers best service.
3. It can keep an eye on the advertisements being aired by telecom operators and warn (or
even sue) companies about unethical or deceptive advertisements.
4. It can inform its members and public about misleading advertisements of telecom
operators.
5. It can have a good liaison with telecom operators to inform them about consumer issues
and concerns.
6. It can mobilize telecom consumers to arrange peaceful protest rallies against companies
that indulge in anti-consumer activities.
7. It can support and encourage Pakistan Telecom Authority to be tough on companies to
protect consumers.
8. It can take up issues like reduction of broadband price and Mobile Number Portability and
pressurize large companies to become consumer friendly.
9. It can mobilize policy makers/law makers to enact and implement consumer protection
laws especially with provisions for compensation.
Consumer right council:To enforce and implement the existing Pakistan
Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) standards, public health Pure
Food Drugs and Safety Laws in the Province of Sindh, through the Sindh Police
and other law enforcement agencies, under the provision of Chapter XIV of the
Pakistan Penal Code 1860, ‘Offences Affecting the Public Health, Safety,
Convenience, Decency and Morals’, and Chapter III of the Pakistan Standards
and Quality Control Authority Act 1996, ‘Power and Functions of the Authority’
Project Promotion of Consumers Rights This project is being run by the
Economic Cultural and Social (ECS) Rights Promotion Program.Under this
project the institute provides free legal aid to the consumers if their rights are
infringed in any way. In addition to that the Institute also arranges awareness
workshops and seminars in collaboration with different Bar Associations for the
awareness of consumes rights laws and their proper implementation in Pakistan. It
is a service delivery project of the Institute under which the institute provides free
legal aid to redress the grievance of any citizens whose consumer rights are
infringed. These services are being provided with the help of pro bono lawyers.