February 01, 2008	Friday	Muharram 22, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Jan 31: The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) on Thursday gave a one-month deadline to the mobile service provider, Mobilink, to clarify through a reply how its Blackberry service was not a restrictive trade practice.

The commission issued the directives while hearing a case against Pakistan Mobilink Communication Ltd (Mobilink) in a matter pertaining to alleged unreasonable restrictive trade practices.

The CCP posed the question whether it was possible for a Mobilink subscriber with Blackberry solution, who desired to shift to another operator, to still use the same mobile handset and “continue having access to the service despite the switch”.

The Mobilink representatives had been directed to see whether it was possible to “think out of the box” to provide an answer.

Would Mobilink be able to technically facilitate such a subscriber while operating within the legal framework? And, could GPRS access be provided to the owner of a Blackberry hand-held (purchased from Mobilink) by an operator other than RIM, the commission asked.

The CCP is looking into the question whether the combined operations of M/s Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd and M/s Fauji Fertilizer Bin Qasim Limited was legally allowed or could be deemed to be monopolistic.