In most cases there exists no procedure whereby the consumers are able to lodge a complaint or have the consumers' point of view represented adequately, or at all, during tariff or price determinations. Sometimes legislation does not take into account the evidential and financial burdens that render proceedings through the court improbable or prohibitive for the ordinary consumer. The consumer is therefore left vulnerable, in a grossly disadvantaged position as against the supplier, who has greater access to information and resources. These are only some of the issues which cry out for a consumer movement in the country and which will eventually be picked up by consumer groups to secure a nationwide consensus. In fact, the Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan in Islamabad and the Consumer Protection Council in Karachi have already prepared model Consumer Protection Act 2000 and Consumer Protection Act 2000 respectively for the government to adopt as laws for protecting the rights of consumers.
Women are and always have been major contributors to development.
Their contribution, however, has not been acknowledged. It is fact that an active and efficient involvement of women is an essential condition for raising socio-economic standards of any given society. During 1998-99, a number of initiatives were taken by the government to improve the status of women. THE most challenging task facing the nation is education. Unfortunately, although there has been a lot of talk about a massive drive to promote education, little has been done in practical terms.