The Express Tribune Newsletter: June 2, 2012

Today's Headlines   Braving fisticuffs, govt presents Rs2.96t budget Irfan Ghauri / Shahbaz Rana Amid unprecedented uproar, blows, punches and intense scuffles between the treasury and opposition members, the federal government presented a Rs2.96 trillion budget that included surprisingly little by way of populist spending. Electricity consumers will no longer enjoy subsidy sweetener Zafar Bhutta With energy companies reeling from the impact of Rs500 billion circular debt, the government has decided to end subsidy for power consumers, except for lifeline consumers, in the upcoming financial year 2012-13. High political drama: 'Punchy' politicos overshadow budget speech Our Correspondent Presenting the budget in Parliament is a serious business – certain treasury and opposition bench members, however, seem to have taken it a little too seriously. Of Rs2.96 billion, ECP gets the lion's share Our Correspondent Laying emphasis on the need for rule of law and order, the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government has allocated Rs2.96 billion for the law and justice ministry in the budget. Business As elections approach, govt boosts development spending by a fifth Shahbaz Rana The government has announced Rs873 billion for the national development budget for the upcoming financial year. The allocation is higher by Rs143 billion – or 20% – compared to the current fiscal year as the government gears up for upcoming elections. Interest payments: Keeping tradition, more than a third goes to debt servicing Farooq Tirmizi It is the only segment of the budget which the government is required to spend on by law: the government will spend Rs1.1 trillion – or more than one third of its total outlay – on servicing both the domestic and foreign debt. _______________________________________________ Sports 1st Twenty20: Professor's tactics fail on captaincy debut News Desk Sri Lanka staged a remarkable comeback to register what was in the end a comfortable 37-run win over Pakistan in the first of two Twenty20s in Hambantota yesterday. French Open: Aisam inches towards his Olympics dream News Desk Aisamul Haq Qureshi moved one step towards his dream of representing Pakistan at the Olympics as he moved into the third round of the French Open with his doubles partner Jean-Julien Rojer courtesy a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 win over Bjorn Phau and Adil Shamasdin. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Pakistani designers in Dubai: Fashion forward Hani Taha For Pakistani fashion, the most predictable step forward is the expansion of the retail business in Dubai. 'Avanti': Yet another adaptation Rafay Mahmood From the mesmerising set to the ensemble cast, "Avanti: The Grand Musical" was nothing short of a grand event.  _______________________________________________

Opinion Competing narratives of Partition violence Ajmal Kamal Face saving needed for Saving Face Syed Mohammad Ali Manufactured earthquakes Salman Rashid Imran Khan's problem Farrukh Khan Pitafi Adding to the confusion Amina Jilani Blogs Why Pakistan needs Israel Pirzada Hasaan Hashmi A good time to cultivate relations with India Zahid Gishkori A butterfly with no wings Mohammad Zia Adnan Muslim women are empowered and confident Myra Iqbal  Poll Do you think the jirga system should be abolished in Pakistan? Yes (67%, 365 Votes) No (33%, 181 Votes) Total Voters: 546 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: June 01, 2012

Today's Headlines   Budget 2012-13 speech: Tax base to be increased by Rs45 billion Web Desk A copy of the budget speech to be given by Finance Minster Abdul Hafeez Shaikh later today (Friday) has been obtained by Express News. Loadshedding protest: Shahbaz Sharif shifts office to Minar-e-Pakistan Sidrah Moiz Khan In a bid to protest against the ongoing power crisis in the province, Chief Minister Punjab shifted his office to Minar-e-Pakistan ground on Friday. PM contempt: Disqualification is speaker's call, argues Mirza Zeeshan Mujahid In a reply filed to the court, National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza defended her decision to not disqualify the prime minister – arguing that it is "the Speaker who is to decide" on the matter. 'Mohajir province is a plot to exact revenge on PPP' Hafeez Tunio "The issue of a Mohajir province has been raised just to take revenge from the Pakistan Peoples Party for its bold stand to create a Seraiki province," stated President Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House on Thursday. Business Tax exemptions cost Rs185 billion this year Shahbaz Rana In a sign of lost revenues, the cost of tax exemptions, largely given to the influential people of the country, has risen to Rs185.5 billion this financial year, which is higher than the amount the government expects to receive in foreign loans next year for financing development projects. In agriculture, livestock grows 4%, outpaces crops Farooq Tirmizi Of the four major crops in Pakistan, the two that saw increases in both yields and overall production levels were also the ones the government does not subsidise or support in any way: rice and cotton. The two subsidised ones – wheat and sugarcane – did rather badly. _______________________________________________ Sports Cricket: Revamped Pakistan aim for continuity in Sri Lanka AFP Pakistan will kick-off a full-fledged series against Sri Lanka with the opening Twenty20 in southern Hambantota today, aiming to perfect their combination ahead of the World Twenty20 later this year. Azlan Shah Cup: Pakistan not prepared for Olympics Fawad Hussain A dismal run in the ongoing Azlan Shah Cup, including the 2-1 defeat yesterday against India, prompted the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) chief selector Hanif Khan to declare that the team was unprepared for the Olympics which are less than two months away. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Veena Malik dons salsa shoes IANS Controversial Pakistani actor Veena Malik will be seen grooving to salsa beats for a new ad for aphrodisiac product Stay On and says that the dance form gives her "exhilarating freedom". Tina Sani: The nightingale of ghazals Saadia Qamar As one listens to the ghazal singer Tina Sani, they can't help but be reminded of the tunes of "Gar Mujhay Isska Yaqeen Ho" and "Mori Araj Suno" — two singles that influenced the Pakistani ghazal culture back in the 90s and are still hummed by many. The iconic ghazal singer, who touched people's emotions with her vocal prowess, talks about her musical journey and her future plans. _______________________________________________

Opinion Another death foretold? Kamran Shafi Another reason to hate the US? Saleha Riaz 'Is China buying the world?' Dr Pervez Tahir What the budget will do for Pakistanis Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri Why our economic performance has suffered Zubair Faisal Abbasi Blogs Remembering the summer of 96 Umair Qazi Columnists vs burger babies: And the winner is… AbuBakr Agha No IPL cheerleaders for hypocrites Jawad Rehman Coke Studio should try being less like itself Mohammad A. Qayyum Kashmir: When the dogs came marching in Saadut Hussain Poll Should it be mandatory for government officials to send their children to public schools? Yes: 71% (389 votes) No: 29% (161 votes) Total: 550 votes 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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