The Express Tribune Newsletter: January 17, 2012

Today's Headlines

January 17, 2012

NRO implementation case: Gilani in the dock Faisal Shakeel We are left with no other option but to issue Prime Minister Gilani with a show-cause notice for explaining why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him… It was on the cards. But the impact of its eventual arrival was still intense. _______________________________________________  National/City Mustering support: Resolution passes despite opposition walkout Qamar Zaman / Zia Khan Buoyed by a pro-democracy resolution that was passed by a majority in the National Assembly on Monday, legislators thumped their desks throughout a rousing speech by the premier in the lower house.  Reopening Swiss cases: PPP unlikely to budge on immunity question Irfan Ghauri While the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government insists that President Asif Ali Zardari is immune to criminal prosecution, its political allies appear to be in two minds on the issue.  Violence against women soars in Punjab: Report Our Correspondents With violence against women on the rise, we need to focus on creating awareness, former National Assembly member Mehnaz Rafi said at a seminar on Monday where the Aurat Foundation released its biannual report on Violence against women in the Punjab during July 2011 and December 2011.  Thawing relations: Another general visits the Presidency Kamran Yousaf Amid rapid developments on the political front, President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday met Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCSC) General Khalid Shameem Wynne.  Status quo worried about PTI tsunami: Hashmi News Desk Senior politician and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said on Thursday that even though he had respect for Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif, he detested the way his former party had been used as the chief's personal property. _______________________________________________  Business Arbitrage opportunities: 'Pakistan should buy cheaper gas from US' Zafar Bhutta As natural gas prices soar in the Middle East and plummet in the United States, the Planning Commission in Islamabad has suggested that, rather than go through with the current plan of importing liquefied natural gas from places like Qatar, the petroleum ministry should try to start buying gas from the US instead.  Underground coal gasification off to promising start in Thar Farhan Zaheer The red and blue interconnected pipeline network, with a state of the art infrastructure right in the heart of desert is not what one expects to see in the Thar desert. At first sight, it gives the impression that some multinational corporation is drilling oil in the sands of Thar. _______________________________________________  Sports Cricket: New year, bigger challenge, Pakistan look to stand firm in the desert Our Correspondents Pakistan resume their acrimonious rivalry with England as they take on the top-ranked Test team in the first of the three matches that starts in Dubai today.  Squash: Maria claims Liberty Bell Open title Our Correspondents Registering a series of upsets, Pakistan's top-ranked female squash player Maria Toor clinched the Liberty Bell Open in Berwyn after entering the tournament as a qualifier. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Golden Globes 2012: Who stole the show? Our Correspondents Although we weren't invited to the 69th annual Golden Globe that took place Sunday night, it doesn't mean we don't have all the fashion trends, disasters and spectacular moments of the show detailed for you. Here's a list of all those who left us awestruck, as well as those who made us want to publicly boo.      Security for concerts: Facing the crowd Sher Khan "When I heard the news, I was baffled, speechless and flabbergasted. The incident itself was pretty shocking but the fact that it was my concert made it even harder to believe," says Lahore-based singer Annie Khalid who performed at Alhamra Cultural Complex last week. "During the concert, I was walking around the arena, interacting with crowd; it's so unfortunate because maybe for a moment, I saw one of those girls or shook hands with the ones injured." _______________________________________________

Opinion  Pakistan is beautiful — and it's mine Shehrbano Taseer  Rationalising natural gas usage Yaqoob Khan Bangash  A culinary peep into Karachi's golden age Anwer Mooraj  One nation, two roads Feryal Ali Gauhar  Pakistan and the new Great Game Shahid Javed Burki  Blogs No, I don't want 'fraandship' with you Maria Amir  Following Bhutto's way: Religion above rights Sikandar Khan Kalasha  When journalists and politicians become friends Nadir Hassan  No homosexuality in Pakistan, and other lies Muneeb Ahmed Khan  Poll Do you feel the army is playing its part in supporting democracy in Pakistan? No (35%, 228 Votes) Yes (65%, 429 Votes) Total Voters: 657  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: January 16, 2012

Today's Headlines

January 16, 2012

Memogate scandal: Defiant premier pulls rank Our Correspondents As a military man, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani will know the phrase "to pull rank". As army chief, he will be unaccustomed to being on the receiving end. _______________________________________________  National/City Zardari-Kayani meeting shows 'limited options' for all Kamran Yousaf The face-to-face meeting between President Asif Zardari and army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani might have helped the two sides pull back from the brink, but the worst is not over yet, according to a senior member of the embattled Pakistan Peoples Party-led government.  Riyadh helped thaw the frost in Islamabad Zia Khan The road from Islamabad to Rawalpindi goes through Riyadh, especially in times of crisis.  In Rahim Yar Khan: Bomb attack on mourners kills 18 Kashif Zafar / Owais Jafri A bomb ripped through a Shia mourning procession killing 18 mourners and wounding dozens, some of them critically, in southern Punjab on Sunday.  TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud killed in drone strike: Report Iftikhar Firdous Tehreek-i-Taliban (TTP) leader Hakimullah Mehsud was killed in a drone strike on Thursday, media reports said on Sunday.  Shahzain announces bounty for Musharraf News Desk Shahzain Bugti, a grandson of slain Bugti chieftain Nawab Akbar Bugti, on Sunday announced head money for former military ruler Pervez Musharraf. _______________________________________________  Business Personal finance: Why investing in urban real estate may not be a good idea Kazim Alam Pakistanis love investing in real estate. It is considered a safe, solid investment that yields good returns. Except that it does not. An analysis of the numbers suggests that far from being a reliable investment, urban real estate in Pakistan may be overvalued and headed for a correction.  No free lunch: Rising price of wheat flour: trust the market to deliver Ali Salman There is a famous Urdu couplet which translates like this: you go back to the same 'hakeem' for medicine, whose very prescription has caused you illness. This self-defeating tendency was featured in the policy prescriptions announced at the policy forum organised by Oxfam GB recently on 'Food Price Volatility and Policy Options' in the wake of rising food prices. _______________________________________________  Sports Cricket: Pakistan U19 register third win Our Correspondents A superb all-round performance ensured Pakistan under-19 secured their third successive win in the Tri-Nation Series, defeating Zimbabwe under-19 by a comfortable 90-run margin at the Bridge House School, Franschhoek.  Shaky start for Pakistan shooters in Doha Fawad Hussain Pakistan struggled in their opening events at the 12th Asian Shooting Championship, underway in Doha, as they seek a berth in the 2012 Olympics. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Daniyal Noorani: Asking the big questions Rayan Khan "Hey, what's goin on over here? Something's just not right; my head is spinning with questions," says a line from Daniyal Noorani's single "Find Heaven". Galle Literary Festival: Calling all bookworms Jaffer Bilgrami With a few more days to go, plans to stage the much talked about literary event of the South Asian region — Galle Literary Festival (GLF) have now gathered pace. _______________________________________________

Opinion  Iran's Bomb and Pakistan Pervez Hoodbhoy  Setting right a historic wrong Fauzia Wahab  More democracy, not less Rasul Bakhsh Rais  An early election Tanvir Ahmad Khan  Push and pull — and public space Shahzad Chaudhry  Blogs There is no shame in using a jharoo Faraz Talat  David Warner: A true cricketing metamorphosis Omer Kamal Bin Farooq  The corruption within Talha Nadeem  What a gori learned in India Angela Melamud  Poll Do you believe Mansoor Ijaz's claim that his life is under threat in Pakistan? No (50%, 173 Votes) Yes (50%, 170 Votes) Total Voters: 343  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: January 15, 2012

Today's Headlines

January 15, 2012

Zardari, Kayani spring surprise one-on-one Irfan Ghauri In an unexpected development, Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and President Asif Ali Zardari held a one-on-one meeting on Saturday – which optimists view as a thaw, if not a breakthrough, in the ongoing civil-military rift. _______________________________________________  National/City Memogate row: Mansoor Ijaz due on Monday News Desk American businessman of Pakistani descent Manssor Ijaz, the whistleblower of the Memogate scandal, is likely to arrive in Pakistan on Monday.  Last farewell for child prodigy Arfa Karim APP/Express/Saba Imtiaz Steady nerves and a pointed address. The premier remained composed on Friday, despite a raring opposition and potentially wavering allies in the face of a deepening row with the military and the judiciary – and the government also managed to introduce a highly-anticipated resolution in the house. Salala incursion: DCC united against NATO's version of attacks Sumera Khan Despite a frosty atmosphere, the government and military officials were unquestionably united in one respect on Saturday evening: their response to the Nato border attacks which killed 24 Pakistanis. Taking stock: Shaikh tries to put a brave face on economic record Farooq Tirmizi If the prime minister was looking for good news on the economic front, he is unlikely to have been sufficiently comforted by the ever-so-cautious finance minister's briefing on Saturday. Shahzad family disappointed by commission report Asad Kharal For Saleem Shahzad's family, the judicial inquiry report into his murder was disappointing, to the say the least. _______________________________________________  Business Weekly review: Political tensions keep bourse under pressure Bilal Umar Political news dominated proceedings at the country's bourses as the future of the government came under question during the week. Investors remained cautious as the benchmark KSE-100 index closed the week down by 1% or 111 points at 11014.46 point level.  Copper and gold: Tethyan informs government about international arbitration Faisal Shakeel Tethyan Copper Company (TCC) has sent a letter to the government, informing it that the company has filed a request for arbitration in a dispute over the Reko Diq project at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes in Washington DC. _______________________________________________  Sports Cricket: Whatmore a step closer to appointment AFP Dav Whatmore, the man tipped to become Pakistan's next coach, arrived for an interview in Lahore, moving a step closer to taking the sport's hot seat. Boxing: Khan gives reasons for WBA rematch decision News Desk Briton boxer Amir Khan insists he has been granted a rematch against Lamont Peterson by the World Boxing Association (WBA) because of 'multiple irregularities' in their light-welterweight title fight in December, according to the BBC. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Unrequited humour News Desk If 2012 marks the end of the world, then at least the Karachiites should know they have enough jokes coming their way to make them laugh right till the end. With The Agency Saad Haroon's troupe) and Danish Ali Live already creating a stir at the Pakistan American Cultural Centre (PACC), we now have the "Aisa Karoge Tou Kaun Ayega" troupe that performed under their new name "Light on Hai" on January 13.  Carrying on Cleopatra's legacy Laleen Khan She may not have had the convenience of battery operated mascara (DiorShow 360 Mascara) or have access to lip plumping gloss (DuWop Lip Venom and its descendants that irritate and thereby plump up thin lips) and her skin didn't get colour matched with a rotating foundation bottle (Revlon's Custom Creations Foundation lets you mix your own shades from the same bottle). _______________________________________________

Opinion  Imran, Jinnah and Pakistan's problem Aakar Patel  A dead journalist's story Atika Rehman  Shame on us Fahd Husain  Setting the house in order Saroop Ijaz  Sindhi icon of honour: Shah Mardan Shah Khaled Ahmed  Blogs David Warner: A true cricketing metamorphosis Omer Kamal Bin Farooq  The corruption within Talha Nadeem  What a gori learned in India Angela Melamud  Meet Chota Jatt, the Pakistani superhero Daniyal Noorani  Poll Should Prime Minister Gilani ask for a vote of confidence from parliament? Yes: 71% (377 votes) No: 29% (155 votes) Total: 532 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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The Express Tribune Newsletter: January 14, 2012

Today's Headlines

January 14, 2012

Revealed: PPP-led govt all set to write Swiss letter Abdul Manan After over two years of dilly-dallying on an apex court order to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari in Switzerland's courts, the embattled government has apparently relented. _______________________________________________ National/City Democracy or dictatorship?: Resolute Gilani paves way for govt resolution Qamar Zaman / Zia Khan Steady nerves and a pointed address. The premier remained composed on Friday, despite a raring opposition and potentially wavering allies in the face of a deepening row with the military and the judiciary – and the government also managed to introduce a highly-anticipated resolution in the house. Another controversy brews over Gilani's alleged phone call Sumera Khan Another Memo-like fiasco reared its head on Friday as media reports alleged that, sometime this week, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had telephoned British High Commissioner Adam Thomson expressing fears that the army might stage a coup. Saleem Shahzad murder: Commission report points out everything, but the murderers Salman Siddiqui The judicial inquiry report into journalist Saleem Shahzad's murder deals with everything, save pointing out who did it. Like the country, army supports PTI, says Imran Huma Imtiaz In his first appearance at a Washington-based think tank after the Lahore and Karachi rallies, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said on Friday that there was support for his party within the army. Wavering allies: Govt still short on numbers Our Correspondents For all the confidence in the premier's speech, the ruling party does not yet have the support it needs to pass the "pro-democracy" resolution tabled in parliament by its ally, the Awami National Party (ANP) – forget any other possible moves against the army. _______________________________________________  Business Covering up: Anti-trust watchdog reprimands paint companies Our Correspondents The anti-trust watchdog on Friday took a lenient view and reprimanded paint companies for concealing exact price of the paint, providing misleading information to consumers and not disclosing the cost of coupon added to the consumer price. Coming through: Undeterred by challenges, IT industry grows steadily Farooq Baloch Despite domestic and international challenges, Pakistan's information technology (IT) industry has recorded steady growth with key support coming from talented human resource and entrepreneurship, say industry experts.  _______________________________________________ Sports It's my destiny to restore Pakistan's lost pride Natasha Raheel A dream debut at the international squash circuit saw Israr Ahmed land the coveted British Junior Under-15 Open title this month and the teenager feels that it is his destiny to revive Pakistan's lost status in the sport. Desert sports: Storming the sands to the finish line Our Correspondents All arrangements to organise the 260-kilometres long annual seventh jeep rally near Derawar Fort will be finalised in an official meeting scheduled to be held in Bahawalpur on January 19. _______________________________________________ Life & Style 'I can't stand Salman Ahmad': Ali Azmat Sher Khan Ali Azmat, now 41-years-old, remains one of the most outspoken figures in Pakistan's pop culture, with his latest outburst stinging ex-bandmate Salman Ahmad. Reviving cinema: Short films, young filmmakers Aroosa Shaukat "This year we expect to raise the bar. We want the festival to be the centre for dramatic and cinematic revival in the country," Sobaan Ahmed, the convener of FiLUMS 2012, said. _______________________________________________

Opinion Populism and its discontents Kamran Asdar Ali So what? Amina Jilani Pari Nagar Salman Rashid 'Padma turns red' Ajmal Kamal Land of rumour and hyperbole Tazeen Javed Blogs More provinces …or not Sher Khan Imran Khan's PTI: New face, same old lines Samir Butt A dummy's guide for journalists in Pakistan Zoha Waseem Wasim and Waqar: the deadly duo Safwan Umair Poll Are you in favour of early elections? No (26%, 234 Votes) Yes (74%, 651 Votes) Total Voters: 885  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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