ISLAMABAD (APP) - Speakers at a Consultative Workshop entitled "Role of Media for Consumer Rights Protection" Monday called for a c countrywide drive for foolproof legislation to ensure consumer rights protection taking on board all the stakeholders with the provision of a regulatory mechanism to enforce the consumer laws; and devising a joint strategy to bring all the civil society organizations to address the issues from a unified platform through organizing consumer rights groups at grass roots level. The participants of the moot held under the aegis of Civil Society Alliance (CSA) also urged the media to be a partner in the drive meant for the rights of the civil society and play its part to ensure effective legislation and the enforcement of the relevant laws of consumer rights across country. They stressed the need for taking steps to speed up the system of the protection of consumer rights protection; removal of restrictions of access; launching of a well-conceived awareness drive among the consumers through media; minimizing the 30-day claim time and reducing the judgment period of 6 months which was is too lengthy. They also recommended for out of court settlements/alternate dispute resolution (ARD); one standard law followed throughout the country; consumers' representation should be included while drafting a consumer protection law and the consumers should have the greater access to information and resources. Eminent civil society activist Arshad Bhatti opined that a law should be established direct contract between consumer and manufacturer, effective tools for monitoring should be introduced, an institution is imperative to monitor the violations of consumer law and the consumer opinion should be inducted while setting prices and tariffs. He added that the laws should be more user and consumer-friendly; a body should be established to lodge consumer complaints in courts on behalf of consumers; consumers should be considered as an independent body; conflict of interests between government and consumers should be eliminated. The compensations and penalties should be established at level of realistic deterrence. The consumers should be provided financial and legal aid to fight their cases in consumer courts," said Rukham Khan, Convener, Civil Society Alliance (CSA), in his opening speech. He said the CSA was striving to create and embody an active coalition of Pakistani civil society members, men and women, including but not limited to social scientists, journalists, lawyers, physicians, working class intellectuals, farmers, students, writers, poets, thinkers, businesspersons and other professionals, infused with true national spirit.