Your new fridge stops cooling in the second month. The shop says the warranty is the manufacturer's problem. The manufacturer's helpline never picks up. What do you do?
You can take them to a consumer court. Pakistan has had consumer courts for years, and filing a complaint is cheaper and simpler than a normal civil suit. Here is how it works.
What is a consumer court in Pakistan?
There is no single national consumer court. After the 18th Amendment, consumer protection became a provincial matter. Each province runs its own law and its own courts:
- Punjab: Punjab Consumer Protection Act 2005
- Sindh: Sindh Consumer Protection Act 2014
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Consumers Protection Act 1997
- Balochistan: Consumer Protection Act 2003
- Islamabad: Islamabad Consumers Protection Act 1995
The courts are run by regular judges. In Punjab the Lahore High Court designates a District Judge or an Additional District Judge in each district as the Consumer Court. In Islamabad the Authority is the Court of Sessions. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa each district has a Consumer Court headed by the District and Sessions Judge.
Do this before you file: send a notice
In most places you cannot go straight to court. First you must give the seller or manufacturer a written notice. Tell them what is wrong and what you want: a refund, a repair, or a replacement.
In Punjab the law says the seller has 15 days to reply to the notice. If they do not respond, you can file the claim. The official guidelines say the notice can be on plain paper. No lawyer is needed and no court fee is charged for the claim.
Watch the time limits. In Punjab the claim must be filed within 30 days of the cause of action, though the court can allow more time in genuine cases. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the limit is strict: the complaint must reach the court within 10 days of the sale or the service, unless the court extends it.
Where to file, province by province
File in the district where the seller lives or works, or where the problem happened. The court that has jurisdiction is the one where the seller carries on business or where the cause of action arose.
In Punjab you file before the Consumer Court of your district. In Sindh it is the Consumer Protection Court set up under section 27 of the 2014 Act. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa it is the Consumer Court of the district. In Islamabad you complain to the Court of Sessions, and the respondent gets 7 days to reply.
What to attach with your complaint
Evidence decides these cases. Keep and attach:
- the receipt or invoice
- the warranty card, if any
- photos or video of the defect
- messages or call records with the seller
- a copy of your written notice
You can file on a plain paper. The complaint must say who you are, what you bought, what went wrong, and what you want.
What the consumer court can order
The law gives the court a wide range of orders. Under the Punjab and Sindh Acts the court can:
- order the seller to remove the defect or repair the product
- order a replacement with a new product
- order a full refund of the price you paid
- award compensation for your loss and damages
- award your actual costs, including lawyer fees
- recall or confiscate defective products
Fines exist too. In Punjab a manufacturer who sells defective goods can get up to two years in jail or a fine up to 100,000 rupees. In Islamabad the penalty can be up to two years or 40,000 rupees. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the fine can go up to 500,000 rupees.
How long does it take?
The law sets a target, not a promise. In Punjab and Sindh the court has to decide the claim within six months after the summons is served on the seller. In practice it can take longer, but it is still far faster than an ordinary civil suit.
If you lose, you can appeal. In Punjab the appeal goes to the Lahore High Court within 30 days. In Sindh it goes to the Sindh High Court. In Islamabad appeals go to the High Court too.
One warning: do not file a false claim. Courts can dismiss frivolous complaints and fine the complainant up to 10,000 rupees.
When the consumer court is not your best route
Some complaints are better handled elsewhere.
- Electricity or gas bills: complain to NEPRA or OGRA first.
- Bank disputes: the Banking Mohtasib handles banks.
- Misleading ads: the Competition Commission of Pakistan takes complaints about deceptive marketing.
- Online fraud: report to FIA cybercrime, like the online fraud complaint route.
- Small money claims: the small claims courts in Pakistan decide these faster.
If a fake online store took your money, read about your refund rights when an online store disappears. And for any money owed to you, see the legal routes to recover money in Pakistan.
For the complete map of routes, see how to complain against a company in Pakistan. More guides on the Lexiber blog, and the main site is lexiber.com.
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