The Sindh Assembly on Friday unanimously passed the Sindh Consumer Protection Bill 2014.
The government bill tabled by Sindh Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sikandar Mandhro was passed unanimously. This is the bill to provide and protect the rights and interests of consumers in the province of Sindh, and whereas, it is expedient to provide for protection and promotion of the rights and interests of the consumers, and speedy redress of consumers’ complaints.
A judicial magistrate would be appointed for each consumer court by the government in consultation with the Sindh High Court. The terms and conditions of service of judicial magistrate shall be such as may be prescribed under the act.
A consumer court shall have jurisdiction to entrain complaints within the local limits of those jurisdictions where the defendant or each of the defendants, where there are more than one, at the time of filing of the claim, actually and voluntarily resides or carries on business or personally works for gain; or any of the differences where there are more than one, at the time of the filing of the claim, actually and voluntarily resides, or carried on business, or personally works for gain: provided that in such a case the permission is granted by the consumer court or the defendants who do not reside, or carry on business or personally work for gain, as the case may be, acquiesce in such institution; or the cause of action wholly or in part. All agencies of the government shall act in aid of the consumer court in performance of its functions.
No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against any functionary under this act, acting under the direction of the consumer council or government for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under the act. The government may, by notification in the official gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this act.
Meanwhile, the members of Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) protested in Sindh Assembly for not allowing them to raise points of orders.
The members complained that they wanted to raise points of order to highlight the issues of their constituencies but they were not allowed. They protested for about three minutes and later ended their protest when the chair assured them that they would also be allowed to raise the points of order.
CONSIDERATION OF LG (AMENDMENT) BILL DEFERRED
The Sindh Assembly on Friday deferred the consideration of LG (amendment) bill till Monday.
The consideration of Govt Bill No5/ 2015 Sindh Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2015 was included in the agenda of the day; however, it was deferred till Monday on the request of Sindh Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Sikandar Mandhro.