The Express Tribune Newsletter: December 3, 2011

Today's Headlines

December 03, 2011

Nato Attack: Parliamentary panel endorses govt's strong stand Irfan Ghauri This time, there may be no turning back. The cabinet's decision to boycott a crucial conference in Bonn, Germany on the Afghan endgame was endorsed by the parliamentary committee on national security on Friday. The conference, which has been planned for a year, will be attended by 90 countries on Monday. _______________________________________________  National/City Pakistan declined to join investigation into NATO airstrike: Pentagon Huma Imtiaz US on Friday said that Pakistan had been invited to join an investigation into the cross border North Atlantic Treaty Organistaion (NATO) bombing of a Pakistani check post. However, Pakistan had elected not to participate in the investigation.  Imran to reveal Nawaz's assets, incomes Abdul Manan Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan is expected to hold a press conference in Islamabad on December 4, in which he will disclose details of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)'s eponymous chief's assets, sources told The Express Tribune. NATO attack: PML-N to boycott joint session if held behind closed doors News Desk  If the parliament's joint session on Nato's attack in Mohmand Agency and the memogate scandal is held behind closed doors, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) may boycott proceedings, the opposition party warned on Friday.   Boycotting Bonn: All hail govt's game face, but wonder if it will last Qamar Zaman The government's game face was appreciated and encouraged by friends and foes in the upper house of parliament alike, despite scepticism on how long the countenance would last. Veena Malik denies nude photo shoot for FHM News Desk Veena Malik has stirred controversy in both Pakistan and India — and this time she is not even involved. An alleged photograph of the actress posing nude appeared on the Indian online edition of the international monthly men's lifestyle magazine FHM on Friday, but her PR manager confirmed to The Express Tribune that the photograph is fake.  International Day for Disabled People: Quetta doctor proves spirit as important as physical fitness Shehzad Baloch When Nadir Khan lost both his legs six years ago, he thought he could bid farewell to his dream of playing cricket.  Mansoor Ijaz met me twice: Hizbul Mujahideen chief News Desk Chief of militant organisation Hizbul Mujahideen Syed Salahuddin has said that Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz had met him, in a bid to convince him to continue a ceasefire in Indian-administered Kashmir.  Distasteful 'prank': Police probe Peshawar school bomb hoax Iftikhar Firdous A letter, apparently written by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, threatening to blow up a girls' school in Peshawar turned out to be a hoax on Friday.  Pakistan Railways Special Report: A journey of neglect, incompetence and corruption Taha Siddiqui "We have been warning officers for the last three years that the railway system will collapse but our supervisors ignore our recommendations," says Sagheer Cheema, a mechanic who has been with the organisation for 25 years, speaking on the current disarray that engulfs Pakistan Railways (PR). _______________________________________________  Business Trend remains upwards: Inflation falls to 23-month low Shahbaz Rana The change in calculation methodology continued to work for the statisticians in Islamabad as CPI inflation was recorded at 10.19% for the month of November, a figure last recorded in October 2009.  Stock market activity drops to 13-year low Our Correspondents Investors seem to have parked their funds in other avenues or taken a break as activity at the stock market dropped to its lowest level since 1998 in November. _______________________________________________  Sports Hockey Champions Trophy: 'Time to execute what has been taught' Fawad Hussain The Pakistan hockey team is upbeat about its chances in the Champions Trophy as it opens its campaign in the eight-nation event with a match in Auckland against higher-ranked opponents Great Britain today.  Squash: Banned Atlas cruises in London Open Our Correspondents Serving a two-year ban placed by the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF), the country's top-ranked player Aamir Atlas remains determined about his future with an impressive start at the London Open Squash. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Exhibition: In bursts of colour, IVSAA Fine Art students turn themselves inside out Usman Liaquat Beauty may indeed lie in the eye of the beholder, but the students graduating from the Fine Art department at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture have worked assiduously to ensure that any eye cast upon their work would meet a sight to remember.  Dino talks music Rafay Mehmood The VJ, who made phrases like 'dost scene on hay'and 'party on hay boy' a part of the Pakistani youths' everyday conversation, is back on the music front with his latest single "Jaan Lo". Dino Ali's latest offering is a love song, but the singer managed to highlight the fun side of love with his light voice and jazzy tunes. Additionally, the black and white video of the song adds to the experimental side of this song and unlike his previous videos, this one doesn't show Ali singing to a pretty girl. _______________________________________________

Opinion India-Pakistan businessmen and the JuD Jyoti Malhotra  The dog's grave Salman Rashid  Personal accounts of 1971 Ajmal Kamal  Quotable quotes Amina Jilani  Mainstreaming the disabled Akhtar Waheed  Blogs Three layers of chocolate heaven Yousuf Bawany  Heera Mandi: A street corner by the mosque Alina D Mohammad Hafeez: The sweetly timed turnaround Faras Ghani Muharram is your holiday, not mine Sidra Rizvi  Poll Have you ever been tested for HIV/AIDS? No: 79% (299 votes) Yes: 21% (79 votes) Total votes: 378  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 2, 2011

Today's Headlines

December 02, 2011

Kayani's bold move: 'Pakistani troops will return fire if Nato attacks again' Kamran Yousaf In a development that pushes US-Pakistan relations further into the realm of uncertainty, the army has authorised its local commanders deployed near the Afghan border to retaliate to any future incursions by Nato forces. _______________________________________________ National/City  Presidency abuzz, as capital hums with familiar chatter Our Correspondents While the talk of troubling times ahead for the government have been heard before, the country's leadership is not taking the buzz lightly.  Kayani's bold move: 'Pakistani troops will return fire if Nato attacks again' Kamran Yousaf In a development that pushes US-Pakistan relations further into the realm of uncertainty, the army has authorised its local commanders deployed near the Afghan border to retaliate to any future incursions by Nato forces.  Al Qaeda claims kidnapping of Weinstein in Pakistan AFP Al Qaeda is holding a US aid worker who was kidnapped in August in Pakistan, the extremist group's leader Ayman al-Zawahiri said in a Thursday statement seen by a US-based monitoring group.  'No threat of judicial or military coup' Our Correspondents Amidst accusations from all sides, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani defended his cornered government yet again on Thursday, playing down "any threat" of a 'judicial' or 'military' coup.  International day for the abolition of slavery: The brick maker enslaved for 18 years and counting For someone who makes bricks, the foundations of Ashraf's life have been smashed to pieces. World AIDS Day: Testing for HIV made mandatory in K-P Islamuddin Sajid Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Barrister Masood Kausar has announced that HIV/Aids tests have been made mandatory before every surgical operation in all hospitals across the province.  Growing momentum: PTI head-hunting spree continues Qamar Zaman The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is not done with head-hunting just yet.  The party, which has seen a number of high-profile politicians join its ranks in recent weeks, is set to keep luring seasoned politicians to adopt its vision for change, The Express Tribune has learnt. _______________________________________________  Business Ministry backtracks: Gas supply to fertiliser sector continues Zafar Bhutta Despite a country is undergoing worst crisis due to gas load shedding, Ministry of Petroleum on Thursday again succumbed to the demands of the influential fertiliser lobby and decided to continue gas supply to the sector until December 15.  Economic Coordination Committee: Rs6 billion bailout for Pakistan Steel approved Zafar Bhutta / Shahbaz Rana The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Thursday approved a bailout package of Rs6 billion as working capital for the ailing Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) to enable it continuing its operations and avoid imminent shutdown. _______________________________________________  Sports Afridi spins his magic again AFP Shahid Afridi grabbed five for 23 and kept his cool in a batting crisis as Pakistan overcame Bangladesh by five wickets in the first One-Day International (ODI) in Dhaka.  Boxing: Mohammad Ali declines invitation Fawad Hussain The Pakistan Boxing Federation suffered a huge setback in their preparation for the 2nd Benazir Bhutto International Boxing Championship when boxing legend Mohammad Ali turned down an invitation to attend the event due to health issues. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Icons from 80s: Pop is forever Rafay Mehmood Be it the golden period of Pakistani cinema in the 60s and 70s or the progressive fashion scene in 2011, music has always been the primary form of entertainment in Pakistan. The reason for this dependence on music is the fact that Pakistan's music history is brimming with some timeless musicians who gave the industry enough strength to thrive, even in the absence of a stable film industry.  Hard labour: Time and money keep labourers away from courts PPI Labourer's rights and labour laws were the protagonists of the documentary, titled "Kis se Munsifi Chahen?" launched by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research on Wednesday. The documentary, produced by Tehmina Ahmed of Newsline Films, aims to shed light on the situation of labour courts in the country. _______________________________________________

Opinion  Nato attack: the boycott and beyond Nasim Zehra  Will the posturing never stop? Kamran Shafi  Nightmare at Salala Moeed Pirzada  Violence against women Yaqoob Khan Bangash  Social Sciences: hard or soft science Dr Pervez Tahir  Blogs Not just a child, a servant Samar Minallah  Living in fear of dying Sanaa Siddiqui  Thoughts on Khayaban-e-Nowhere's birthday Meiryum Ali  Pakistan's got AIDS patients Omar Chughtai  Poll Do you approve or disapprove of cable operators shutting BBC News in Pakistan? Disapprove (58%, 430    Votes) Approve (42%, 311 Votes) Total Voters: 741  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 1, 2011

Today's Headlines

December 01, 2011

NATO attack: Dempsey questions logic of Pakistani accusations Reuters The top US military officer on Wednesday denied allegations by a senior army official in Islamabad that a Nato attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers was a deliberate act of aggression. _______________________________________________ National/City Bonn conference boycott: Gilani unmoved by Merkel's gentle nudge Hafeez Tunio / Zia Khan The prime minister has simmered down, but not enough to confirm Pakistan's attendance at the Bonn conference. NATO attack has raised serious questions: FM Khar APP Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Tuesday that the NATO attack on the Mohmand checkpost was not an isolated incident and had raised much bigger questions than whether Islamabad will join an investigation on the event. Black gold: Oil prices spurt upwards Zafar Bhutta The government has increased the prices of petrol by Rs0.48 and high speed diesel by Rs4.89 per litre. The hikes are in line with global oil price rises and are effective from Thursday (today). Contracting AIDS abroad: For an HIV-positive immigrant, secrecy is the only way to be Taha Siddique When he found out he was HIV positive three years ago, Tanveer* assumed the worst – he thought he would die soon. From medieval Taliban to a tech-savvy militia Naveed Hussain They hated modernity, secular education and modern scientific inventions – they banned music and smashed television sets during their rule in Afghanistan until 2001. But 10 years on, things appear to have changed – radically. ISI comes under fire for 'not paying electricity bills' Our Correspondent Pakistan's premier spy agency ISI and other government departments came under fire at a meeting of parliamentary panel for not paying electricity bills that have stalled the whole energy sector due to alarming receivables of Rs326 billion against the defaulters. _______________________________________________ Business Sales tax on services: Government takes back decision, FBR to collect Hafeez Tunio In an apparent reversal of its promise to promote provincial autonomy, the federal government has backtracked from its decision to handover to the Sindh government the right to collect GST on services as agreed in seventh National Finance Commission (NFC) Accord. G-B to be declared tax-free zone Shabbir Mir After deferring the decision of imposing taxes in Gilgit-Baltistan due to its controversial status, the federal government has planned to declare the autonomous region as a tax-free zone with an objective to attract foreign investment. _______________________________________________ Sports Unanswered omission: Wahab sliding into oblivion Our Correspondent His heroics in Mohali were deemed enough to guarantee him a place in the playing-eleven for months to come, especially after the team had lost another performing left-armer to the world of crooks. Snooker: Toba, Shehzad cruise into 2nd round Our Correspondent Pakistan cruised into the second round of the IBSF World Championships after Mohammad Asif Toba defeated England's Michael Wild 4-2 and Australia's Vinnie Calabrese 4-1, and Imran Shehzad convincingly beat Ireland's Mark Tuite 4-2 in Bangalore. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Drama production: From the city of kites to the city of lights Sher Khan While surfing channels, you will notice that television dramas have become an essential part of TV entertainment in Pakistan. The growth of private media has opened up doors to the drama industry, which has flourished tremendously over the last decade. However, much to the surprise of audiences, the television market has detoured to Karachi — despite the fact that Lollywood is a Lahore-based industry. London Paris New York: Ali's aspirations Our Correspondent Pakistani singer-cum-actor, Ali Zafar, is working hard on his newest film London Paris New York, which marks his debut as a composer after already proving himself as a playback singer in films like Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Tere Bin Laden, reportsThe Hindustan Times. _______________________________________________

Opinion Bonn in the USA Sami Shah No more headlines at Express 24/7 Khurram Husain Desperately seeking change Poonam Pervaiz I'm a ghairatmand Pakistani Atika Rehman Bitten by a double-sting operation? Imtiaz Gul Blogs The death of English news in Pakistan Ovais Jafar Imran Khan: The hero that stole Christmas Aroosa Shaukat Why I let my children smoke Mariam Ashraf Edhi we love you Amna Khalid Poll Should Pakistan have boycotted the upcoming Bonn Conference on Afghanistan? No (20%, 156 Votes) Yes (80%, 624 Votes) Total Voters: 780 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: November 30, 2011

Today's Headlines

November 30, 2011

Afghan conference boycott: No Bonn voyage for Pakistan Abdul Manan If the Afghan endgame is a chessboard, Pakistan is believed to be the queen; the game can't be played without this crucial piece. _______________________________________________  National/City US preparing to vacate Shamsi air base Reuters The United States (US) is preparing to accede to Pakistani demands that it vacate a remote air base in Pakistan used for drone flights, but the move is not expected to have a significant impact on operations against militants, US government sources said late on Tuesday.  Clinton hopes for Pakistan cooperation despite Bonn boycott Reuters US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Wednesday she regretted Pakistan's decision to boycott next week's international conference on Afghanistan but hoped to secure Islamabad's cooperation in future.  'NATO lured by Taliban into raid' News Desk Nato forces may have been lured into attacking Pakistani outposts in a calculated manoeuvre by the Taliban, according to preliminary US military reports on the deadliest friendly fire incident with Pakistan since the Afghanistan war began, The Associated Press reported.  'Unprovoked': DGMO gives details of aerial assault Quatrina Hosain The Nato attack on two military check posts in the Mohmand Agency early Saturday morning was an "unprovoked act of blatant aggression," said the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Ishfaq Nadeem on Tuesday, adding that all options remained open to the  government and the military. "The final decision rests with the prime minister.We are considering a range of options," he told journalists at a briefing, adding that the military will have its input into the decisions taken.  A review of the incident is under way at the GHQ, he said.  UN Human Development Report: Pakistan slips down development rankings Shahbaz Rana Pakistan has slipped into the low human development group of countries as almost half of the country's population is deprived of basic education and health facilities, according to a United Nations report released on Tuesday.  BBC taken off air in Pakistan by cable operators Our Correspondents Popular British news channel, BBC World News was taken off air by a number of Pakistani cable television operators late on Tuesday after proclaiming to 'ban' the channel for airing anti-Pakistan programming following a NATO air strike on a Pakistani border check post that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.  UN climate summit: Pakistan tops climate-risk index Farrukh Zaman Pakistan has been ranked as number one on a list of countries hit worst by weather extremes in 2010 by Germanwatch, a climate and development organisation. The index, which ranks countries affected over the last twenty years by weather extremes such as flooding and storms, was announced during an address at the United Nations Climate Summit in Durban, South Africa. _______________________________________________  Business Reko Diq project: Tethyan Copper files for international arbitration Our Correspondents Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) has filed for international arbitration on Tuesday to protect its legal rights after Balochistan rejected its mining lease application.  Market Watch: Bourse ends flat in dull session Our Correspondents The stock market closed flat on Tuesday although intraday losses were recovered as investors bought heavyweight Oil and Gas Development Company at lower levels. _______________________________________________  Sports Only Twenty20: Spinners carve out 50-run win AFP A resurgent Pakistan continued their winning run to defeat Bangladesh by 50 runs in the only Twenty20 international in Dhaka after having been bowled out for their lowest total against Bangladesh.  Army asked to help with boxing event Our Correspondents The Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) will hold meetings with government and army officials in a bid to ensure tight security arrangements for the 2nd Benazir Bhutto International Boxing Championship scheduled to take place in Islamabad next month. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Poor Rich Boy band: Get rich or die trying Sher Khan 'Alice' could be about the friendship between America and Pakistan, a page from a book or even Alice from Alice in Wonderland. It really depends on how you interpret it," exclaims Omer Khan, one of the vocalists of Poor Rich Boy.  R for recycling: I spy something useful Taneeya Hasan Necessity is the mother of invention' is one of the most cliched, oft repeated and freely abused adage since Methuselah's birth. However, as much as you want to roll your eyes back in your head and bawl at the repetitiveness of common home remedies, some of the eccentric, contemporary ones actually manage to make you put aside your mockery and consider the value of 'useless' things lying around in your home. _______________________________________________

Opinion  Do away with this charade Ejaz Haider Husain Haqqani versus Pak Army Khaled Ahmed The memo that opened the gates! Shaukat Qadir  A grave crisis in Pakistan-US relations Tariq Fatemi  The road much travelled Amber Darr  Blogs Violence against women, no more Sadya Siddiqui  Sim Sim Hamara: Sesame Street comes to Pakistan Ovais Jafar  How I learnt where Islam ends, and culture begins AbuBakr Agha  Dr Abdus Salam who? Amna Lone  Poll Do you feel the Pakistan government and Army have appropriately responded to the Nato attack? No (67%, 687 Votes) Yes (33%, 335 Votes) Total Voters: 1022  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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