The Express Tribune Newsletter: May 25, 2012

Today's Headlines The final word?: Speaker refuses to disqualify PM Irfan Ghauri Two days before the possible expiry of a 30-day deadline to decide on the fate of the prime minister, the National Assembly speaker dismissed bids to disqualify Yousaf Raza Gilani following his conviction by the Supreme Court in a contempt case last month. Secretary-level talks: Pak, India finalise new visa regime Kamran Yousaf Pakistan and India have finalised a new visa regime that seeks to do away with the decades-old strict travel restrictions on cross-border movement of their citizens. Polio eradication: $10m discrepancy in polio funding surfaces Sehrish Wasif The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme is seeking yet another loan of $35 million, against the $24.85 million actually needed, from the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to "swiftly run the polio campaign in 2012". Next fiscal year: NEC approves 27% higher development budget Shahbaz Rana Amid the boycott by two provincial chief ministers, the National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday approved Rs873 billion for development spending in next financial year, which is higher by Rs186 billion or 27% over expected expenses on development projects this year.   Business Recovery drive: Mobilink bank accounts locked down Shahbaz Rana Tax authorities on Thursday seized all bank accounts of Mobilink until it recovers Rs8.6 billion, an amount the country's largest cellular service provider collected from customers in form of taxes but did not deposit in the national exchequer. Reko Diq saga: As time elapses, govt fails to nominate arbitrator Zafar Bhutta In first signs of a setback, the government has failed to nominate an arbitrator in a case on multi-billion-dollar Reko Diq gold and copper mining project filed by Tethyan Copper Company – a Canadian and Chilean joint venture – in the International Centre for Settlement of Disputes in Washington DC, sources say. _______________________________________________ Sports Azlan Shah Cup: Pakistan draw first blood on blue turf Fawad Hussain Pakistan got their Azlan Shah Cup campaign and the Olympics preparation off to a flying start as they beat Argentina 4-2 in the tournament's opening match in what was the Greenshirts' first international on the blue Astroturf. Cricket: Australia offers to host ODI, T20 series Saleem Khaliq While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is looking for venues to host Australia for a limited-overs series, Cricket Australia (CA) has offered to play in the northern areas of the country. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Rahim Khan: A musical flight to change Hidayat Khan He stumbled upon his love of music in college and since then he has never really looked back. Rahim Khan, a lawyer by profession, sang his first song in Nishtar Hall, "Da Zama Pa Tamasha Wa" (She Was Looking At Me With Love) in 1991 in a grand show organised by Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF). Indus Raag: 13 hours of soul-stirring music Mushir Anwar When public institutions created to promote the arts and the professions become dysfunctional, creative people, who have something to give, open channels for themselves. _______________________________________________

Opinion Another rubbish USIP report! Kamran Shafi Will Dr Afridi get his day in court? Fasi Zaka What we should be talking about Sehar Tariq A hero or a traitor? Muhammad Zubair The chance we did not miss Lt-Gen (retd) Asad Durrani   Blogs Why British Pakistanis should visit their motherland Zab Mustefa Politicising homosexuality: A make or break for US presidents Manal Shakir Game on: How Murali stumped them all Raja Yousaf Erdogan in Pakistan: Of speeches and bloopers Muhammad Hassan Poll Given the security situation, do you think political rallies should be banned in Pakistan? No (47%, 273 Votes)  Yes (53%, 312 Votes)  Total Voters: 585 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: May 24, 2012

Today's Headlines   Contempt case strategy: After huddle with Aitzaz, Premier Gilani approves draft appeal Irfan Ghauri Despite discord over whether the government should aim for an appeal or use the National Assembly speaker's office as a strategy, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has given his approval to a draft of the appeal prepared by his defence team. US drone strike kills 10 in North Waziristan Reuters A US drone strike on suspected militants in North Waziristan killed 10 people on Thursday, intelligence officials said, an attack likely to raise tensions in a standoff with Washington over Nato supply routes to Afghanistan. Demand for Mohajir province: Rally attack creates rift within ruling party Hafeez Tunio The attack on the Awami Tehreek rally in Karachi, which claimed 13 lives on Tuesday, has intensified divisions in the senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leadership. NATO supply lines will not be restored: JUI-F Our Correspondent Asserting that Nato supply routes will not be restored, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief has said that rumours regarding any such move are completely "baseless". Business Residential consumers: Cabinet fails to decide on reducing outages Zafar Bhutta The cabinet on Wednesday failed to reach a decision on a programme aimed at avoiding the wrath of the people in next general elections by reducing electricity outages by 40% for residential consumers of urban and rural areas and enforcing power cuts on cement, textile and processing industries. TAPI pipeline: Indian and Pakistani firms sign gas purchase contract Reuters / APP State-owned energy companies from Pakistan and India have signed a 'Gas Sales and Purchase Agreement' with Turkmenistan's national oil company Turkmengaz that will lead to the supply of up to 90 million cubic metres (mcmd) of natural gas a day via the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline. _______________________________________________ Sports Nice Open Aisam, Rojer through to quarters News Desk Pakistan tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi and his Dutch partner Jean-Julien Rojer have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Nice Open doubles event with an easy 6-3, 6-2 win over the American duo of Scott Lipsky and Ram Rajeev. Snooker: 'Shift events out of Karachi' Nabeel Hashmi The law and order situation is now taking its toll on local sports events – participants of the national ranking snooker event have demanded the tournament, and future events, to be moved out of Karachi after the rally killings in the city that claimed 12 lives and left more than two dozen injured. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Fashion (able) police Hina Taha Exactly two months ago, when spring began descending into odious summer, the local police candidly declared that their characteristic grumpiness was not a personality trait intrinsic to their job but was in fact brought on by the dark colours of their uniform.  Masuma Halai: Capturing the imagination Sehrish Ali Karachi-based artist Masuma Halai Khwaja showcased her second solo exhibition, 'Life is a Song, in Islamabad's Khaas Art Gallery on Tuesday. _______________________________________________

Opinion A study tour of Turkey Dr Tariq Rahman Coping with urbanism Ahmad Rafay Alam What are TV anchors made of? Farrukh Khan Pitafi The lion and the jackal Khaled Ahmed The good, the bad and the IPL Avirook Sen Blogs Can science be compared with religion? Imad Uddin Dear Mr Kundi, I beg to differ Aasim Mukhtar Bella Vita: Satisfy that sweet tooth Farah S Kamal What the NATO Summit achieved Huma Imtiaz Poll In your opinion, should Obama apologise to Pakistan for the Salala check post attack? No (64%, 1,458 Votes) Yes (36%, 808 Votes) Total Voters: 2,266 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: May 23, 2012

Today's Headlines NATO air strike: Turkey backs Pakistan's demand for US apology Kamran Yousaf Turkey, a member of the North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), has thrown its weight behind Pakistan's demand for an unconditional US apology over last year's deadly Nato air strike. Mohajir province controversy: Firing on pro-Sindh rally sets off alarm bells Sameer Mandhro / Faraz Khan Snipers hidden in buildings attacked an anti-Mohajir province rally, unleashing panic that subsequently left 13 people dead over the rest of the day and over 35 others injured by the end of Tuesday. Charging for transit: $1,000 fee per NATO container proposed Shahbaz Rana The communication ministry has proposed charging Nato forces $1,000 per container to offset the Rs100 billion in damages caused to the road infrastructure in the past 10 years, said a top government functionary. Zardari's Chicago visit brought nothing but disgrace: Imran Khan Our Correspondents President Asif Ali Zardari's visit to Chicago to attend the Nato summit brought nothing but disgrace to the country, stated Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Tuesday. Business Oil purchase: Power companies reluctant to make advance payments Zafar Bhutta A persistent tussle between power companies and a major oil supplier on advance payments may aggravate the energy crisis as power producers have so far been reluctant to buy petroleum products by opening letters of credit which will ensure prompt payments for oil supplies, sources say. Start-up seeks to tap $1b Pakistani restaurant market Farooq Baloch With conservative estimates suggesting that Pakistanis spend close to $1 billion a year on dining out, a number of technology start-ups are seeking to cash in on this highly lucrative market, seeking gains from a consumer market of 180 million people. _______________________________________________ Sports Drogba confirms Chelsea departure Our Correspondents Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba confirmed yesterday that he will leave newly crowned European champions Chelsea when his contract expires at the end of June.  Hockey: Pakistan placed in tough Olympics group Our Correspondents Pakistan's only realistic medal-winning chance at this year's London Olympics took a hit after the hockey event's draws were announced yesterday. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Unlike Pakistan, Afghanistan supports artists: Hamayoon Khan Rafay Mahmood He was invited as a state guest by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, given the best singer award in Pakistan and Afghanistan and recently won everyone's hearts with his rendition of "Larsha Pekhawar Ta" in "Coke Studio".  'Back to Life': Fighting back Saadia Qamar More often than not, disasters strike unexpectedly — anytime, anywhere. Whether it's the devastating earthquake in Haiti and Japan, the deadly tornados in the Midwest, US, or severe flooding in Pakistan, the impact — both environmental and psychological — of these catastrophes continues for many years. _______________________________________________

Opinion KP's counterterrorism plan — not what but how Ejaz Haider The Lal Masjid affair Ayesha Siddiqa Time to address Pakistan's xenophobia Syed Mohammed Ali India & I Amber Darr Chicago's message Tariq Fatemi Blogs Losing our dignity, one drone at a time Adam Sakia How much Klout do you have? Faisal Kapadia A small town girl with big dreams Sonam Chawla 5 signs of a lame conspiracy theory Faraz Talat Poll Do you think Pakistan has a role to play in Afghanistan's stability and security? No: 49%% (434 votes) Yes: 51% (443 votes) Total Voters: 877 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: May 22, 2012

Today's Headlines Chicago declaration: In the face of pressure, Pakistan offers no quarter M Ziauddin Despite intense pressure and Nato's public call for reopening supply routes through Pakistan in a summit declaration, President Asif Ali Zardari made no promises in Chicago. Sagacious advice: Erdogan offers lessons to govt, opposition Qamar Zaman In an address to parliament that was nothing short of a scolding by an elder sibling – a well settled one at that, – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan advised Pakistan's political leadership to avoid going too far in their rivalry, lest it costs them the democratic system itself. Electoral reforms package: 'If less than 10% women vote, nullify poll result' Sumera Khan It is common practice in Khyber-Pakthunkhwa (K-P) to exclude women from voting in elections, usually through compromises and accords between political parties' representatives in the region as well as family members. PNS Mehran: Base commander, including three officers court-martialed Our Correspondents Almost a year after it was attacked, a military court hearing the PNS Mehran base attack, court-martialed three officers, Express News reported on Monday. Business Falling out: K&N's parts ways with Metro, Makro over price row Farhan Zaheer After years of successful business relationship, the largest chain of supermarkets in Pakistan, Metro and Makro – the two have merged recently – and the leading frozen food chain, K&N's, have ended their partnership. Interestingly, each company claims that it is the one which has ceased to work with the other. Turkey asks Pakistan to go easy on rental power plant Shahbaz Rana The government has turned down a request by Turkey seeking relief for a Turkish Rental Power Plant, Karkey Karadeniz, whose accounts have been frozen following Supreme Court's judgment that cancelled all rental power projects. _______________________________________________ Sports PCB ponders dual role for Jaffar Our Correspondents The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has not ruled out using the services of selector and former left-arm pacer Saleem Jaffar as a makeshift bowling 'adviser' on the tour of Sri Lanka. Snooker: Top-seeds shine on opening day Our Correspondents Pakistan's top players gave a taste of things to come at the NBP National Ranking Snooker Championship, brushing off their opponents in convincing fashion at the DHA Creek Club. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Meteors in comet-filled skies: Fatima Surayya Bajia's autobiography launched Tehmina Qureshi The launch of Bajia's autobiography could not have been better suited to her personality. Just like Fatima Surayya Bajia, it was the perfect mix of austerity, generosity of person and the unabated love that she has showed every single person she has met in her long life. AMPP gives musician rights a boost Sher Khan There has never been a structured forum to discuss issues faced by Pakistani performing artists. However, all this changed last month when the Association of Music Professionals Pakistan (AMPP) reorganised itself and initiated a movement to reclaim musician's rights to royalty collection in Pakistan.  _______________________________________________

Opinion Time for meaningful land reform Najma Sadeque Our state's fetish for censorship Raza Rumi Time to become normal Shahzad Chaudhry Manto's Pakistan Yaqoob Khan Bangash Beyond Chicago Talat Masood   Blogs Why the Twitter ban is serious Hafsa Khawaja Finally, Chelsea! Rumman Islam The rise of American fanatics Mani Khawaja I would rather be the 99% Manal Khan   Poll Do you agree with PTA's decision to ban Twitter in Pakistan over 'blasphemous drawings'? No (45%, 349 Votes)  Yes (55%, 420 Votes)  Total Voters: 769 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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