The Express Tribune Newsletter: December 31, 2011

Today's Headlines

December 31, 2011

NATO supply route blockade: Rangers asked to take possession of US cargo Waqar Satti The paramilitary rangers has started taking possession of highly sensitive US cargo stranded in Pakistan following the blockade of the Nato supply route by Pakistan in protest against the November 26 air strikes that killed two dozen Pakistani border guards. _______________________________________________ National/City Verdict's in: SC puts its foot down – judiciary to probe memo Faisal ShakeelInvestigations by a panel of the supreme body of the land, the parliament, will not be enough. 'Darkest day' for judiciary: National security has trumped fundamental rights: Asma Sidrah Moiz Khan The judiciary's most ardent supporter at one time turned its loudest critic on Friday when the apex court announced upholding the petitions on Memogate scandal.  Year in review: 2011 The year that shouldn't have been Omar R Qureshi To say it in one sentence, 2011 was a year that would probably rank as among the worst for Pakistan. But then again, I just turned 40 and I wasn't around for the first two-and-a-half decades or so of the country's existence, but I would imagine that things were never as bad as they are now. However, there is no guarantee that they won't get any worse.  Finger-pointing: PM's 'Osama sanctuary' remark earns Nisar's ire Qamar Zaman National Assembly proceedings turned into a grilling session on Friday with Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan lashing out at the prime minister for pointing fingers at defence authorities for Osama bin Laden's presence in Pakistan.  BLA claims Quetta attack, 13 dead Shehzad Baloch At least 13 people, including women and children, were killed and 36 others injured in a blast near the residence of politician Shafiq Mengal on Arbab Karam Khan Road in Quetta on Friday evening. _______________________________________________  Business Overview: A distracted govt all but ignores the economy Shahbaz Rana Barring some achievements on the external front, 2011 will likely be remembered as the year the government was so distracted with its political troubles that it all but failed to pay any meaningful attention to the economy.  Agriculture: Rising crop production a rare bright spot Shamsul Islam Despite much of Pakistan's prime agricultural land being devastated by floods two years in a row, the country continued to achieve high growth in the production of major commodities, a resilience that was surprising since much of it came from the unusual source of productivity gains. _______________________________________________  Sports And Pakistan's standout performer is... Our Correspondents The stakes are always against you when representing Pakistan. But some still manage to make a difference. Here, The Express Tribune staff lists six of those who made a major impact on Pakistan sports in 2011.  Glory and medals, but regret and prison cells too... 2011 Our Correspondents From reaching the cricket World Cup semi-final to the dismal hockey  Champions Trophy, the year had it all on the field … and some off it too _______________________________________________  Life & Style Trend, Set, Go 2011 Hani Taha Fashion's sudden eruption two years ago meant that specialised knowledge in the field became the need of the day. The fashion school initiated by PFDC got its official approval and formally became an 'institute'.  Let's make-up! With Bina Khan Our Correspondents It is my sincere hope that the column that you are reading at this very moment is the first page of the last make-up book that you will ever need to read. Tear out every column and stick it on to your mirror or simply review online; either way I am going to blow the lid on every beauty secret out there, making a make-up whizz out of every single one of you. After 15 years of doing make-up and thousands of faces later, I have loads to share. So here goes! _______________________________________________

Opinion  Achieving a critical mass Shahid Javed Burki  All Western invaders aren't Pakhtun Salman Rashid  Whatever Lola wants… Amina Jilani  A man for all seasons Tazeen Javed  The poets we forget Nosheen Ali  Blogs Adoption: Patience is truly a virtue Adeel Ansari Christmas in Maryland Huma Imtiaz  Abbottabad has more to offer than Osama bin Laden Asif Nawaz  One year on at The Express Tribune Maryam Usman  Poll Is the use of force to tackle the security situation in Balochistan the right way forward? No (82%, 353 Votes) Yes (18%, 79 Votes) Total Voters: 432  Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers Copyrights Jobs Classifieds

 

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The Express Tribune Newsletter: December 30, 2011

Today's Headlines

December 30, 2011

'Major surprises' expected in talks with militants, ISI tells senators Irfan Ghauri In an unusual three-hour meeting behind closed doors, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Shuja Pasha and his deputies briefed a Senate panel on the country's war against terror policy, which they claimed is going through a "holistic review" to correspond with changes in the United States' plans in Afghanistan. _______________________________________________  National/City Kharotabad killings: 'Tattling' police surgeon silenced Shehzad Baloch The key witness to the Kharotabad incident, police surgeon Dr Syed Baqir Shah, was shot dead on Thursday afternoon while on his way home.  Child prodigy: Lights dim on a beautiful mind Shamsul Islam Aarifa Karim Randhawa was the youngest ever Microsoft certified professional in the world. Born in 1995, she received the prestigious title at the age of nine.  Flashback: Defining moments of 2011 Jahanzaib Haque / Shaheryar Popalzai Taking a look back across 2011, there is no doubt that Pakistan has been through a tumultuous year.  Top-ranking officials reshuffled in NAB Asad Kharal The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has carried out a major reshuffle in its ranks, with some old faces finally bidding farewell to the institution. Previous appointments, considered controversial, have been overturned and new faces have come to the fore, according to sources.  Peace will not prevail without military withdrawal: Jamaat-e-Islami Saba Imtiaz Because it fears that Balochistan is on the brink of no return, the Jamaat-e-Islami has called for "an end to the unannounced military operation and the role of the [intelligence] agencies in the province." _______________________________________________  Business Energy crisis: Gas supply shut indefinitely for industries in Punjab Our Correspondents Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has announced gas curtailment for all industries of Punjab for an indefinite period of time. According to a notification issued by the company, the decision was taken to provide the gas to its domestic consumers.  Pakistan going ahead with IP pipeline, despite US coercions Our Correspondents Despite US pressure to desist from entering into an energy deal with Iran that would help lessen a mounting gas crisis, it seems Pakistan will be honouring its committment as work surges on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, Iran state regulated Press Television reported on Thursday. _______________________________________________  Sports Cricket: 'Our spinner is better than yours' Fawad Hussain The year's highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, Saeed Ajmal, has been heavily backed by the team management and former Test cricketers to outshine England's Graeme Swann in the upcoming Test series in the UAE.  Boxing: Waseem bags Pakistan's only gold Obaid Abbasi Pakistan's Mohammad Waseem defeated Kenya's Benson Gicharu 26-9 in the final of the 52-kilogramme category, bagging the country's sole gold medal in the second International Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Boxing Championship held in Islamabad. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Showbiz gems: Party in the heavens Rafay Mahmood It is a cool and windy evening, slow jazz plays in the background and a red carpet is rolled outside the heaven's gate; we are expecting some guests. All kinds of dishes are on the menu and angels are dressed up in tuxedos. According to Divine News, the arrival of some timeless musicians, evergreen actors, stylish ladies and tech geniuses is expected any minute.  Sur-Kshetra: Aslam and Reshammiya set for a battle Our Correspondents Pop sensation Atif Aslam will soon start shooting for a three-month long musical reality TV show "Sur-Kshetra", in which he will be leading Pakistani singers while Indian singer Himesh Reshammiya will be leading the Indian side, reports koolmuzone.com. They are also going to judge the show. The show will be shot in Dubai and will most likely go on air early next year. _______________________________________________

Opinion Needed: a 'bloody civilian' at the ISI Kamran Shafi  Essences and poisons Javed Jabbar  May we live in interesting times Jyoti Malhotra  Killing two birds Daud Khan  Facts and figures Dr Pervez Tahir  Blogs Ruttie's love letter to Jinnah Amna Khalid  PTI: Too many cooks in the kitchen Ali Mustafa  Predicament of journalists in Balochistan Shahzad Baloch  Selling a kidney to end poverty Sehrish Wasif  Poll Should Pakistan and India resolve the Kashmir conflict before discussing other issues? No (39%, 204 Votes) Yes (61%, 319 Votes) Total Voters: 523  Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers Copyrights Jobs Classifieds

 

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The Express Tribune Newsletter: December 29, 2011

Today's Headlines

December 29, 2011

Starting Jan 1: The little gas there is, may cost a lot more Zafar Bhutta There is little gas in the country, the petroleum minister told parliamentarians a few days ago – and now the little that there is, will cost a lot more starting January 1, 2012. _______________________________________________  National/City PPP considers getting Haqqani elected as Senator Irfan Ghauri Legal and constitutional hurdles aside, adamant Pakistan Peoples Party circles are considering getting former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani elected to the Senate in March 2012.  Airstrikes Report: Pakistan, US far from same page Kamran Yousaf As the US seeks to end its missions in Afghanistan, relations between Pakistan and the US appear to be heading for a crash landing.  Probing Memogate: Parliamentary panel lacks mandate: SC Faisal Shakeel For days the government has been insisting that the court back off the Memogate affair, since a parliamentary committee is already probing it.  Minority rights in Pakistan: Silence, increasing intolerance make for another grim year Ali Usman Silence became the biggest atrocity against minorities in Pakistan this year. With the rise of the phenomenon of crushing the voice of minority advocates and increasing intolerance, 2011 remained a grim year for minorities in the country.  Scandal at NFML: Ministers allegedly involved in Rs300b fertiliser fraud Arif Rana A powerful group comprising federal ministers, elected officials, and senior civil servants allegedly embezzled Rs300 billion through the illegal dumping, smuggling, and black-marketing of fertiliser imported by the government, according to an official inquiry report. _______________________________________________  Business Improving revenue collection: Pakistan, WB negotiating second reform programme Shahbaz Rana Pakistan and the World Bank have been negotiating a $300 million (Rs 27 billion) loan for a second round of tax reforms as the first programme is going to expire on December 31st on 'moderately satisfactory' note.  Liquor trade: Murree Brewery nervy about trade liberalisation Farooq Tirmizi One would expect that a company whose sales are heavily taxed and severely restricted to a tiny segment of the population would welcome liberalisation of those rules. Not Murree Brewery, which seems rather comfortable with the status quo and appears to very much like things to stay the way they are. _______________________________________________  Sports Latif backs Pakistan to beat England Our Correspondents Former captain Rashid Latif on Wednesday backed Pakistan to beat the world's best Test side England in a three-Test series starting next month.  Squash: Atlas bags maiden title of the year Our Correspondents Pakistan number one Amir Atlas rounded off his year on a positive note as he clinched his first title of 2011, beating Farhan Zaman 3-2 to win the Pakistan Circuit Four Championship. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Salman Ahmad: 'Music is a call for unity' Saadia Qamar From adding rock to Allama Iqbal's words to initiating his own NGO venture, rock artist Salman Ahmad has proved that he is an agent of change. Although his band Junoon, which started out with Ali Azmat, Brian O' Connell and himself, has disbanded, Ahmad doesn't hold any grudges against his ex-band members and wishes the best for them. Shagufta Ejaz: 'We must shun western values' Our Correspondents Her rise to fame was a matter of chance — an appearance in a modelling show for a friend's event and the next thing Shagufta Ejaz knew was that she had practically launched her career on PTV. Spotted by acclaimed director Mohammad Baksh Samejo at the event, Ejaz had little idea about the limelight awaiting her. ______________________________________________

Opinion  Madcap recap Sami Shah  Kitchen Cabinet Feryal Ali Gauhar  Imran Khan's hollow apology on Balochistan Sanaullah Baloch  Thus spake Khan Khurram Hussain  A dismal outlook for 2012 Imtiaz Gul  Blogs Selling a kidney to end poverty Sehrish Wasif  Pane and Amore: Sweet, savoury treats Farah S Kamal  The unsung heroes of Pakistan (I) Noman Ansari  Don't let mullahs take over Pakistan Ibrahim Sajid Malick  Poll Do you think the current government has done enough to investigate Benazir Bhutto's assassination? No (93%, 609 Votes) Yes (7%, 47 Votes) Total Voters: 656  Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers Copyrights Jobs Classifieds

 

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The Express Tribune Newsletter: December 28, 2011

Today's Headlines

December 28, 2011

At Garhi Khuda Bux: PPP stares down critics with own show of strength Sarfaraz Memon He took to the stage resurgent, smiling, and confident. In his first public appearance since his return to Pakistan after an illness, President Asif Ali Zardari addressed a large gathering of supporters of his ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), vowing to defend democracy and even humorously replying to some of the jibes his political opponents had thrown his way in recent days. _______________________________________________  National/City Memogate case: Asma Jehangir drags ISI chief into the ring Faisal Shakeel The role of the country's premier intelligence agency came under the spotlight at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, as Asma Jehangir, counsel for former ambassador to US Husain Haqqani, defended her client in the Memogate case.  Pak-India talks: Vital accords on nukes, missile tests extended Kamran Yousaf The end of the two-day talks held between Pakistan and India showed some results, but it was apparent no drastic changes were on the agenda. Both sides have agreed to extend two vital accords on the pre-notification of ballistic missile tests and reducing the risk of accidents related to nuclear weapons for another five years.  Black magic: Cradle snatching to grave robbing Shamsul Islam The body of a newborn baby was excavated from the Malikpur graveyard in Faisalabad on Monday evening.  Resources for military hinder welfare schemes Rabia Mehmood The division of resources between the defence and the social sector in Pakistan is tilted towards the former, preventing improvements in the welfare of the people, according to Human Rights Commission of Pakistan report on the federal and provincial budgets of the current year.  Balochistan security review: Sharp fall in target killing of settlers Shehzad Baloch While violence appeared to have declined in Balochistan in 2011, its contours also changed, data available to The Express Tribune suggests. _______________________________________________  Business Ministry seeks slower pace for new gas connections Zafar Bhutta When in a hole, the first rule is to stop digging. As the gas shortage continues to worsen, the petroleum ministry is moving to reverse the damage caused by the government's revisions to the gas supply policy, which has put enormous stress on the existing gas supply infrastructure, raised consumer prices and strained the financial position of the state-owned gas supply companies.  All textile units closed as gas supply stops Shamsul Islam Gas pressure in Faisalabad industries has dropped to zero, leading to closure of all textile manufacturing units which have got notices of an indefinite suspension of gas supply. _______________________________________________  Sports 'Next time, I'll come here to fight' - Amir Khan Obaid Abbasi Amir Khan is in Islamabad as a guest at the ongoing Second Benazir Bhutto International Boxing Championship but the former world champion has confirmed that his lifelong dream of entering the ring in the country of his parents' birth will force him to visit Pakistan as a contestant in the next championship.  Waseem crushes Indian opponent in semis Our Correspondents Mohammad Waseem beat India's Madan Lal in the 52-kilogramme semi-finals of the second Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Boxing Tournament, prompting the Pakistan coach to label him better than Haroon Khan. _______________________________________________  Life & Style For Danish Ali, laughter is the best medicine Rafay Mahmood Despite the popularity of international stand-up comedian Russell Peters and the daily show host Jon Stewart amongst Pakistani audience, stand-up comedy, especially in English, remains a relatively new concept.  Syed Mukhtar Ahmed: 'Dramas should be a realistic escape' Saadia Qamar Syed Mukhtar Ahmed launched his career in 2000 in the PTV produced serial "Sahab Bahadur" by Qaiser Nizamani. Soon after, he got an offer to work in Qasim Jalali's play "Aik Hi Rishta", which was again a PTV project. Today, this gifted actor has taken a break from acting and is working for a multinational company and simultaneously running his own production house called Gold Bridge Media. _______________________________________________

Opinion  The Bold and the Beyghairat Feisal H Naqvi  What does Pakistan want in Afghanistan? Najmuddin A Shaikh  Dishonourable murder Syed Mohammad Ali  Seeking clarity within confusion Tariq Fatemi  The road much travelled Amber Darr  Blogs CNG blasts: Too many deaths Asad Kharal  A tribute to Benazir, the eighth queen of Bhittai Suleman Akhtar  Pakistani politics, a messy affair Taimur Arbab  The fall of Blackberry Muhammad Umair Maqsood  Poll Do you believe a civil nuclear deal between US and India would be harmful to Pakistan's nuclear program? No (44%, 225 Votes) Yes (56%, 291 Votes) Total Voters: 516  Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers Copyrights Jobs Classifieds

 

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