You buy a fridge. Two months later it stops cooling. The shop says no refunds, no replacements, and the manager is never available. Or your electricity bill doubles for no reason. Or a company advertises one thing and delivers another.
You do not have to sit quietly. Pakistan has real routes for complaining against a company, and most of them are free to start. Here is who to go to, in order.
First, write to the company
The law expects you to complain to the company itself before anyone else. In Punjab and Sindh, the consumer protection laws say you must first send the company a written notice telling it what is wrong. The company then has 15 days to reply. No consumer court will hear your claim unless you can show the notice was delivered and ignored.
That rule sits in section 28 of the Punjab Consumer Protection Act 2005 and section 29 of the Sindh Consumer Protection Act 2014.
Send the notice by registered post or courier, and keep the receipt. Keep the bill too. The law says a receipt must show the date, what you bought, the quantity, the price and the seller's name, so a proper bill is your proof of purchase.
If the company refuses: the consumer court
Every province has a consumer court. This is the court that orders refunds, replacements, repairs and compensation for faulty products and bad services. It is meant to be faster and simpler than an ordinary civil suit.
Each province runs its own:
- Punjab: Consumer Protection Act 2005. The Lahore High Court designates a District Judge or Additional District Judge in each district as the Consumer Court.
- Sindh: Consumer Protection Act 2014. The government establishes consumer courts in each district, presided over by a judicial magistrate.
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Consumer Protection Act 1997.
- Balochistan: Consumers Protection Act 2003.
File your case in the court where the company has its office, or where the problem happened. Both places are allowed.
Watch the time limits:
- Punjab and Sindh: file within 30 days of the problem. The court can allow more time if you have a genuine reason.
- Balochistan: file within 10 days of the sale, and the court can extend this up to 60 days after the warranty ends, or one year from purchase if there is no warranty.
If you win, the court can order the company to fix the defect, replace the product, refund what you paid, pay compensation for your loss, and even pay your lawyer's costs. In Punjab the court can also order the product pulled from the market.
Appeals must go within 30 days. In Punjab an appeal goes to the Lahore High Court. In Sindh it goes to the District and Sessions Court. In Balochistan it goes to the Sessions Court or the High Court.
One warning. Do not file a fake or groundless claim. If the court finds your claim frivolous, it can fine you up to Rs 10,000 and order you to compensate the company.
For the full walkthrough of the consumer court route, read our guide on how to file a consumer court complaint in Pakistan.
For banks, electricity, gas, telecom and insurance: the regulator
Some companies answer to a regulator in addition to the courts. The regulator can act faster because it does not need a full trial.
- Banks. Complain to your bank first. If it does not fix the problem, go to the Banking Mohtasib, who hears complaints against banks for free.
- Electricity. Complain to your distribution company first, the one whose name is on your bill. If it does not resolve the issue, file an online complaint with the NEPRA Consumer Affairs Division. Under the NEPRA complaint rules of 2015, you must file within one year of the problem. NEPRA registers the complaint, hears both sides, and can order the power company to fix the issue, with 15 days to comply.
- Telecom. Complain to your operator first. If it does not help, use the PTA complaint portal. You need a profile with a mobile number registered in your name and your CNIC.
- Gas. Complain to your gas company, SNGPL or SSGC, and then to OGRA.
- Insurance. Complain to the insurer first. If it does not settle, go to the Federal Insurance Ombudsman or to the SECP Small Disputes Resolution Committee at [email protected].
If the company lied in its ads: the Competition Commission
False and misleading advertising is called deceptive marketing, and it is banned by section 10 of the Competition Act 2010. A company that breaks this rule can be fined up to 10% of its turnover. In September 2026 the Commission fined 3M Pakistan Rs 10 million in a deceptive marketing case.
Anyone can file a complaint with the Competition Commission of Pakistan, and you do not need a lawyer to start. This route suits cases where the company's claim is the problem, not the product itself.
If you were cheated online: FIA
If a company took your money online and vanished, or the product never arrived, the complaint goes to the Federal Investigation Agency's cybercrime wing. Start with the company and the payment method, then report to FIA with your receipts and chats.
What to keep
Gather these before you complain anywhere:
- the receipt or bill
- the warranty card, if any
- your written notice and proof it was delivered
- bills and screenshots, if the complaint is about a charge or an ad
- a copy of your CNIC
Keep the originals and give copies. This paperwork decides most cases.
You can read more plain English guides on the Lexiber blog, including our guide to getting a refund from a fake online store in Pakistan, and you can explore the full site at lexiber.com.
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