HARIPUR: The consumers having grievances against the service providers, manufacturers and sellers should approach the consumer court in Haripur directly or through their counsels to seek relief.This was stated by District and Sessions Judge Haripur Shaiber Khan while speaking to participants of a seminar arranged by Sungi and Sahara Foundation on the rights of consumers and the role of consumer courts here on Thursday.Lawyers, journalists, citizens, traders and NGO workers participated in the programme. The district judge who is also the judge of consumer court said that the concept of establishing the consumer courts was aimed at providing relief to consumers against the violators of obligations set under Consumer Protection Law of 1997 and those found guilty would be dealt with under the law.But, he said, it was only possible when the consumers themselves were aware of their rights and had understanding about the benefits of this law and the forum.
He said the citizens having any complaint against weight, quality and quantity of consumer items and delay in gas and electricity connections should file complaint on a simple paper or through counsel and their cases would be decided within shortest possible time.High Court Bar Association president Saeed Akhtar Khan advocate said that economic betterment and rule of law were interconnected with each other and the concept of dispensation of justice could only be achieved when the consumer rights of citizens were protected.Nawaz Swati, president district bar association, general secretary Ashfaq Lodghi, former secretary general high court bar association Javed Qureshi, Khurshid Azhar advocate, Qamar Hayat of Sahara Foundation and Mukhtar Javed of Sungi were among those who spoke.BOY KILLED: A teenaged boy was killed while his friend was injured seriously when a recklessly driven coaster van hit their motorbike on Taxila Road near Chiti Tarnawa village on Thursday evening. The accident, according to eyewitnesses, was the result of reckless driving by the driver of coaster van who managed to flee after the accident.The injured were removed to hospital Taxila where one of them namely Qamar Shehzad, 16, of village Mumrihal was pronounced dead while Azeem Khan was under admitted for treatment. His condition was reportedly precarious – Dawn