Lahore: Consumers courts operating in 17 districts of Punjab province have been abolished and case will be shifted to `sessions courts.

Judges of consumers courts have been directed to report to Lahore High Court (LHC).

LHC has issued notification to transfer consumer courts cases to respective sessions courts.

These orders have been issued following the amendment in Punjab Consumers Protection Act-2025.

DG District Judicial issued the notification following the approval by Chief Justice (CJ) LHC Aalia Neelum.

According to notification session judges and additional session judges are empowered to hear consumers courts cases, District and sessions judge of every district will be administrative judge of consumers courts.

District and sessions judges will be empowered with reference to new cases of consumer courts. District and sessions judges are empowered with reference to cases running in old consumer courts as well.

During former Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Pervaiz Elahi tenure 11 consumers courts were established in 2007 in Punjab for protection of consumers. Later number of these courts was increased to 17.

The sitting PML-N government has abolished these courts through amendment in law declaring these courts a burden on national kitty.

These courts were set up in 17 districts of Punjab including Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Mandi Baha ud Din, Gujarat, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Faisal Abad, Mianwali, Layyah, Bhakkar , Multan, Bahawalpur , D.G. Khan, Rahim Yar Khan and Sahiwal.

Now the cases of the consumers will be heard in sessions courts.

Judge Shamshad Ali Rana, Judge Muhammad Mazhar Salim and judge Imran Raza Naqvi of consumers courts Sialkot, Gujranwala and Sargodha respectively have been ordered to report to high court.