Can shops in Pakistan charge for branded shopping bags?

A Peshawar consumer court ruled on 16 September 2026 that charging Rs 30 for a bag carrying the Khaadi logo was an unfair trade practice under the KP Consumers Protection Act, 1997. The ruling applies to that case but can be cited as a precedent.

How long do I have to file a consumer court complaint?

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10 days from purchase, extendable by the court for sufficient cause. In Punjab, you must first send a written notice, give the seller 15 days to reply, and file within 30 days of the cause of action.

How much did Khaadi have to pay?

Rs 50,030 in total: a Rs 30 refund, Rs 25,000 compensation to the customer and a Rs 25,000 fine paid to the government.

Consumer court fines Khaadi Rs 50,000 in Peshawar for charging Rs 30 for a shopping bag

A consumer court in Peshawar has ordered Khaadi to pay Rs 50,030 for charging a customer Rs 30 for a branded shopping bag. Judge Nasrullah Khan Gandapur of the Consumer Protection Court, Peshawar, ruled on 16 September 2026 that selling a bag printed with the brand's logo is an unfair trade practice. The shopper was effectively paying to advertise the brand.

The numbers

Purchase: clothes worth about Rs 7,000, bought on 20 December 2025
Bag charge: Rs 30, billed separately
Refund: Rs 30 back to the customer
Compensation: Rs 25,000 to the complainant, Shafaq Aamir
Fine: Rs 25,000 to be deposited with the government
Total: Rs 50,030

The case was brought against Khaadi Pakistan (SMC-Pvt) Limited, Daily Ausaf and TechJuice reported.

Why the court ruled against the brand

The court said the bag served two purposes: carrying the shopping, and promoting the brand. "The bag with the logo of the respondent is obviously provided for the promotion of the brand and that, too, at the cost of the consumers," the judge wrote, as quoted by ProPakistani. The court added that the retailer could have handed over plain bags if it wanted to charge for them.

The ruling relies on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Consumers Protection Act, 1997. The complaint was filed under Section 13, and the court found an unfair trade practice under Section 2(o).

What it means for shoppers

The order binds only this case, but it gives shoppers in Peshawar and across KP a clear precedent to cite. If a store in your city adds a line for a logo bag to your bill, ask for a plain bag or for the charge to be removed. Keep the receipt either way, because the itemised bill is your evidence.

Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad and the other provinces have their own consumer laws and courts. Whether a court there follows the Peshawar reasoning will depend on its own reading of that law.

How to file a consumer court complaint

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (1997 Act):

You, a registered consumer association or the Consumer Protection Directorate can file the complaint (Section 13).
File within 10 days of the purchase. The court can accept a late complaint if you show sufficient cause, but no later than one year after purchase where no warranty period applies.
File where the seller does business or where the problem arose (Section 12).
The court sends your complaint to the seller, who gets 30 days to reply, extendable by up to 15 days (Section 14).
Either side can appeal to the Peshawar High Court within 30 days of the order (Section 17).

In Punjab (Consumer Protection Act 2005):

First send the shop or company a written notice asking it to fix the problem or pay damages. Keep proof that it was delivered.
The seller has 15 days to reply (Section 28).
If it does not respond, file your claim at the district consumer court within 30 days of the cause of action.

What to take with you: the original receipt, photos of the product or bag, a copy of your CNIC, any messages with the seller and, in Punjab, proof that your notice was delivered. Many people file without a lawyer.

If you are checking whether a shop charged the right tax on your bill, try our sales tax calculator.