February 09, 2008	Saturday	Safar 01, 1429

LAHORE, Feb 8: Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Aitzaz Ahsan has sent a legal notice to a telecom service provider for blocking his phone line.

The notice sent through Aitzaz’s law firm demands Rs10 million damages in four weeks.

Advocate Shahid Saeed, on behalf of the firm, said the firm was using the phone to answer queries from the clients and as back-up in case of emergencies round the cock.

He said even though the firm had paid its dues to the service provider in time, the phone had been blocked for more than one month without any prior notice.

He said the measure had affected the company’s commitment to its clients.

“We are constrained to believe that the illegal blocking appears to flow out of malicious and arbitrary motivations against the firm’s senior partner Aitzaz Ahsan,” he said.

He said the blocking of the phone appeared to be in retaliation against Mr Ahsan’s principled stand for the restoration of deposed judges and the supremacy of the constitution.

The notice states the blocking was also an attempt to limit the firm’s right of freedom of speech guaranteed under Article 19 of the constitution.

“If you were under some outside pressure or direction, it was your duty to have resisted it and, at least, to have brought it to the notice of the firm.

“Therefore, you are called upon to immediately unblock the number and conduct an inquiry into the same.”

The notice adds the blocking caused grave economic loss to the firm by stopping their access to their clients.

If the service provider failed to comply with the demand, the firm would have no option but to proceed against it before a court of law for appropriate proceedings to recover the damages and compensation, the notice said.