The Express Tribune Newsletter: December 16, 2011

Today's Headlines

December 16, 2011

Military-govt standoff in the making?: President snubs SC deadline; govt says no need for case Faisal Shakeel All replies are in, except one – and perhaps the most important one. _______________________________________________  National/City Surrender at Chittagong Shamshad Ali Khan The last days of the 1971 war are often distorted, obscured or – perhaps worst of all – forgotten.  Defence budget: US Congress clears Pakistan aid freeze bill Huma Imtiaz / Kamran Yousaf The US Senate on Thursday passed the National Defense Authorisation Act for the fiscal year 2012 with 86 senators voting for, and 13 against the bill, agreeing to freeze close to $700 million in aid to Pakistan.  Lofty ambitions: Development of Gorakh hill station still up in the air Hafeez Tunio Over the years, government officials have often waxed lyrical about the development of the Gorakh hill station, which is often touted as the 'Murree of Sindh'. But most of it seems to be lip service – the site remains undeveloped even though more than 150 years have elapsed since British rulers first discovered its potential as a recreational spot.  Remembering 1971: A retired major tells the story he'd rather forget Taha Siddiqui A retired soldier does not want you to know his name. He is not ashamed of what he did for the Pakistan Army in what is now Bangladesh in 1971. Rather, he knows that, forty years on, this period of history is as strained and fraught as ever – and he fears the military might not be pleased that he wants to set down his version of the truth.  Military coup charges: ISI chief should resign, face inquiry, says Gohar Zia Khan Mum's the word as far as the government and the military's media wing are concerned regarding Mansoor Ijaz's latest allegations. _______________________________________________  Business Fertiliser or bomb?: Fatima Group says its product within accepted standards Saad Hasan The sole manufacturer of ammonium nitrate in Pakistan is cooperating with the US in taking measures to control its smuggling to Afghanistan where they admit, militants might be using it to make bombs, a top official of the company told The Express Tribune.  Canada worried about Reko Diq investment Owais Jafri Canadian Deputy High Commissioner Lajoas Andraaz has expressed concern over investment worth $400 million stuck in Reko Diq copper and gold mining project, referring to the money injected by Tethyan Copper, a joint venture between Canada's Barrick Gold and Chile's Antofagasta. _______________________________________________  Sports Asian Games heroes await promised rewards Our Correspondents Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani wasted no time in announcing huge cash rewards for athletes who won medals at the Asian Games last year but, almost twelve months down the line, those promises have still not been fulfilled.  Cricket: Big Bash T20 league kicks off today Our Correspondents The glitzy Big Bash League begins in Sydney today with some of the biggest stars of international Twenty20 cricket, including former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and leg-spinning great Shane Warne, in attendance. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Luxury Audiplex: Make way for digital extravagance Sher Khan The Luxury Audiplex Theatre at Lahore's Royal Palm Theatre Complex, is a glimpse into the future as it marks the introduction of E-cinema in Pakistan. E-cinema, which is one of the two forms of technology invented to distribute motion pictures — the other being D cinema — is shown through a digital projector, which allows for high definition film-viewing.  Fashion and beyond: Meesha Shafi knows no bounds Saadia Qamar Meesha Shafi's versatility in the field of performing arts knows no bounds. The artist has proved to be a woman of substance; she showed off her powerful vocals as a member of popular band Overload, she sang "Alif Allah" with legendary singer Arif Lohar on "Coke Studio", walked the ramp for many iconic designers and now Shafi is all geared to show her element as an actor in Mira Nair's next venture The Reluctant Fundamentalist. _______________________________________________

Opinion  Rethinking the big lies from 1971 Dawood I Ahmed Open letter to My Lord the Chief Justice Kamran Shafi  Documenting dying voices Zubair Torwali  What does Pakistan want in Afghanistan? Najmuddin A Shaikh  No lessons learnt in forty years Yaqoob Khan Bangash  Blogs Is unbiased news too much to ask for? Mani Khawaja  Some generalisations about the French just aren't true Aima Khosa  KP politics: Of name changes and one-line manifestos Vaqas Asghar  The Chairman's speech Suha Jafri  Poll Do you believe ailing state institutions such as Railways, Steel Mills ought to be privatised? No (31%, 92 Votes) Yes (69%, 208 Votes) Total Voters: 300  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 15, 2011

Today's Headlines

December 15, 2011

Memogate: PM Gilani issues ominous warning News Desk Rocked by recurring controversies and scandals, the incumbent government has sent out a loud and clear message to both the opposition and the powerful security establishment. _______________________________________________ National/City  Verdict implementation: Ratchet continues to turn as court asks for NRO progress Faisal Shakeel The ratchet, it appears, will continue to turn. With the memogate affair already lingering over his head, the Supreme Court has asked President Asif Ali Zardari to submit a report on the implementation of its verdict against the National Reconciliation Order (NRO). On the mend: Zardari returns home from hospital Irfan Ghauri President Asif Ali Zardari has left hospital, though his doctors would have wanted a somewhat less stressful environment as he begins his convalescence.  Blasphemy charges: Out of fear, Ahmadi family on the run Rana Tanveer Blasphemy allegations continue to haunt minorities in Pakistan.  Memogate: Mansoor Ijaz submits reply to SC Web Desk Pakistani American businessman Mansoor Ijazhas submitted his reply to the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the memogate scandal, Express News reported on Thursday.  Horrors of sexual abuse in conflict-stricken FATA News Desk Kashmala Bibi* says her cousin's breasts were cut into pieces when five militants walked into their house and saw the woman breastfeeding her child. One of the insurgents then asked the other women around to eat the pieces. _______________________________________________  Business Setting a benchmark: Govt to penalise gas-run power plants for inefficiency Zafar Bhutta The government has initiated an energy audit of independent power producers and captive power plants operating on gas that may face higher gas tariff or supply disconnection over failure to meet desired efficiency benchmarks.  Embezzlement of Rs700m: SECP held responsible for negligence Shahbaz Rana The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), auditors and a credit rating agency have been held responsible by a special parliamentary panel for negligence that provided an opportunity to a politically 'well-connected' personality to siphon off depositors Rs700 million. _______________________________________________  Sports Cricket: Pakistan will be a 'potential threat' says Vaughan Our Correspondents Former England captain Michael Vaughan foresees Pakistan as 'a potential threat' to England in the upcoming Test series starting from January 17 in the UAE.  UAE series: 'Fawad can come in handy against England Shahzada Usman Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief selector Iqbal Qasim has tipped Fawad Alam to come in handy in the upcoming series against England, given the all-rounder's impressive show in the ongoing Quaid-i-Azam Trophy. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Indo-Pak TV: Where do we stand Rafay Mehmood In the context of Indian and Pakistani entertainment, soaps have always been a means of catharsis for housewives on both sides of the border. From her struggle to live up to her father's honour and wishes, to her woes of being answerable to her husband (and in many 'dramataic' cases the mother-in-law as well), the housewife looks for her own story in drama serials.  Gurvinder Singh: Zooming into village blues Sher Khan Since its debut in the Venice Film Festival, Punjabi film Anhey Ghorhey Da Daan (Alms of the Blind Horse) has been making waves in the film fraternity because of the cultural relish it provides. _______________________________________________

Opinion Finally, the review! Ejaz Haider  A nation that lies Atika Rehman  Illegal structures: paradox of rule of law Imtiaz Gul  Pakistan's narrative of progress Arsalan Ali Faheem  What the envoy said Khurram Husain  Blogs The Chairman's speech Suha Jafri  Why cry foul? Ayaz Peer Muhammad  Humsafar: Here's what the noise is about Quratulain Tejani  Botox, surgical revamping and the elixir of youth Mariam Ashraf  Poll Do you think a freeze on US aid to Pakistan will have an effect on relations between the two countries? No (24%, 176 Votes) Yes (76%, 560 Votes) Total Voters: 367  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 14, 2011

Today's Headlines

December 14, 2011

Policy rethink: Government to redraw key pacts with US Kamran Yousaf Pakistan will renegotiate two key agreements signed with the United States and its Western allies nine years ago as part of a wider policy review following last month's deadly Nato air raids on Pakistani border posts. _______________________________________________  National/City No carrot, just stick: US Congress panel agrees on Pakistan aid freeze Our Correspondents A move that hopes to curtail the spread of explosives might end up detonating an already-charged relationship.  Karachi seminary torture: Released from shackles, rejected by families Faraz Khan / Rabia Ali Most of them saw sunlight for the first time in months. But their freedom may be fleeting.  FC sees criminals behind dumping of bodies Shehzad Baloch Rejecting allegations about Frontier Corps (FC) involvement in the killing and dumping of missing persons' bodies, FC Inspector-General Major General Ubaidullah Khattak simultaneously voiced concern over the issue.  PML-N's high-level meeting : Nawaz tells Nisar to recruit for anti-govt movement Abdul Manan The war drums have been banged for months, but now the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is ready for full-on political conflict.  Sharifs violated deal with Musharraf: NAB Faisal Shakeel Be it memogate or Hudabiya paper mill's case, the Supreme Court seems to have become a common ground for the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) to battle it out. _______________________________________________  Business Affordable power: LNG imports a risk to energy security says OGRA Zafar Bhutta The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has come up with a proposal which recommends the shift from liquefied natural gas (LNG) to coal for producing cheaper electricity because of a wide difference between costs of power generation.  'Failure to rationalise tariffs threat to fiscal balance' Shahbaz Rana As the decision to increase power tariffs remains hanging in balance, the country's Finance Minister warned that failure to "rationalise tariffs will pose serious threats to the fiscal balance". _______________________________________________  Sports Boxing: Tyson's Pakistan visit in jeopardy Our Correspondents Mike Tyson's highly anticipated visit to Pakistan for the upcoming Benazir Bhutto International Boxing Championship has fallen in jeopardy after Amir Khan's controversial defeat to Lamont Peterson in Washington, according to a Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) official.   Cricket: Team's good show makes it easy for the selectors says Ilyas Fawad Hussain The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) selection committee will meet next week to finalise the squad ahead of the all-important series against England in the UAE that starts next month. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Abrarul Haq: Tuning in to PTI Sher Khan Whether you love the party or despise it, there is one positive thing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has done in a very short while. It has woken up the Pakistani youth from their former days of complete political indifference. And where the youth goes, music and fashion are sure to follow. Nowadays everyone, from musicians and poets to models and fashion designers, wants to join the Imran Khan brigade.  Organic skincare line: Return to nature Hani Taha The more modern and tech savvy we seem to get, the more, it seemsthat we yearn to go back to our roots [and the soil]. Case in point is the impending trend of organic food and beauty products. Although the organic wave has yet to hit Pakistan, one can feel its zephyr heading this way as beauticians have already started advocating the use of herbal and organic products. _______________________________________________

Opinion  The fire this time Feryal Ali Gauhar  A step too far? Feisal H Naqvi  Nature of US-India ties Tariq Fatemi  Murphy's law and Pakistan-US relations Ali Sarwar Naqvi  The road much travelled Amber Darr  Blogs Islamabad diary: Making sense of Zardari's sojourn Nadir Hasan  The fast and the furious donkeys Natasha Raheel  Nuclear Iran is not in Pakistan's interest Shahzeb Shaikha  An entrepreneur in the making at Sunday bazaar Muhammad Abbas Hasan  Poll Following eviction of US forces from Shamsi airbase, do you think the number of drone strikes will decrease? No (63%, 344 Votes) Yes (37%, 204 Votes) Total Voters: 548 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 13, 2011

Today's Headlines

December 13, 2011

Women-specific bills passed: Fourteen-year jail term for acid-throwers Sumera Khan Acid victims sitting in the gallery of the upper house witnessed the landmark Senate proceedings in awe. _______________________________________________  National/City Crafting a response: Envoys want less emotion, more strategy in policies Kamran Yousaf Pakistani diplomats serving in key world capitals have tried to calm down the government over its 'kneejerk' reaction to last month's Nato airstrikes that killed two dozen troops.  Discipline?: 45 students chained up in seminary, recovered Noman Ahmed The police moved into the Afghan Camp on Monday night near Sohrab Goth to recover around 45 persons who were kept chained-up in a basement of a seminary.  US hopeful of mending ties after Salala setback: Munter Our Correspondents United States Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter  in an interview on Monday said that the Mohmand Agency border incident, in which at least 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed, was a setback for Pakistan-US ties, and that his country wanted to rebuild cooperation in areas of economy, military and intelligence sharing.  No more 'tax holiday': Pakistan mulls ending tax breaks for NATO trucks Our Correspondents Pakistan is considering charging "millions of dollars" in taxes on Nato trucks and tankers which pass through Pakistan on their way to Afghanistan under what was previously a 'verbal understanding'.  'Third force': Musharraf vexed about Imran's rise in politics News Desk The rise of Imran Khan and his party Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) as an 'alternative third force' in mainstream politics isn't sitting too well with former president Pervez Musharraf and his All Pakistan Muslim League (APML). _______________________________________________  Business PSO gets new chief Our Correspondents Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Monday appointed Naeem Yahya Mir as managing director of Pakistan State Oil (PSO), replacing Acting MD Jehangir Shah, as part of a planned restructuring of oil and gas companies, says the Prime Minister's House.  Spiralling cost: PM reconstitutes Neelum-Jhelum project board Zafar Bhutta Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has reconstituted board of directors of Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Company, a special purpose vehicle created for executing the project whose cost has escalated to Rs330 billion from Rs130 billion because of delay in work and modification in design after the 2005 earthquake, sources say. _______________________________________________  Sports Afridi looking for 'good innings' Fawad Hussain Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi wants to improve his batting as he prepares for the T20 Big Bash to be held in Australia. Afridi will represent Melbourne Renegades and is aiming for useful exposure in Australian conditions.  Boxing: Amir plans inquiry after shock loss Our Correspondents Amir Khan's camp has announced that the British boxer plans an inquiry with sanctioners over the performance of referee Joe Cooper and the ringside judges after his controversial defeat to Lamont Peterson. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Moin Khan: What's your agenda? Hani Taha Creativity and patriotism rarely seem to go hand in hand. When one thinks of doing something for one's country or its people, it's usually along the lines of traditional campaigning or fighting for some grave cause. Moin Khan, a young 24-year-old biker from Lahore, however, has demonstrated quite quirkily that there are myriad ways of showing love for the country,riding around the world on your trusted bike, for instance. Ali Zafar & LPNY: Musical pair Our Correspondents Ali Zafar, who has turned composer for his upcoming Bollywood film, London Paris New York (LPNY), told his fans earlier that his film's music is not going to be conventional. The singer's publicist, Ammara Hikmat, has also announced on Twitter that "Ali Zafar has taken two female singers from Pakistan with amazing vocals to add that oomph to LPNY's music". The names of these singers have not been disclosed yet. _______________________________________________

Opinion Jettison external load Shahzad Chaudhry  Politics and memogate Zafar Hilaly  Perspective for a policy review Dr Akmal Hussain  Misguided threats Aasim Zafar Khan  Veena Malik and the battle for hydro-influence Jyoti Malhotra  Blogs Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Journalist, writer and carpenter Intezaar Hussain  'No Baba, not her 18th birthday party, her wedding' Meiryum Ali  Pakistan's trouble can never be India's gain Sanjay Kumar  Bonded to brick kilns: A song for revolution Ammar Aziz  Poll Do you employ minors as domestic workers in your home? No (74%, 279 Votes) Yes (26%, 96 Votes) Total Voters: 375  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 12, 2011

Today's Headlines

December 12, 2011

PM's interview: Gilani says president to return in two weeks Our Correspondents Political pundits have two more weeks to speculate about the president's absence. In an interview to the BBC on Sunday, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said that President Asif Ali Zardari is making "rapid improvement", but needs rest and will take two more weeks to return home. _______________________________________________  National/City Analysis: Opening a space for women's legislation Fouzia Saeed After several decades, women's issues have begun to get a renewed level of attention at policy and legislative levels. The recent bill on anti-women practices and the amendment on Acid Crimes in the Pakistan Penal Code, passed by the National Assembly, are seen as significant leaps forward. Decade-long stay: Tensions nosedive as US vacates Shamsi airbase Kamran Yousaf As the last US plane left Shamsi airbase, an unexpected sense of optimism hung in the air, as Pakistan seemed prepared to move forward and US President Barack Obama asked for an early report into the Nato air raid which precipitated the move.  Backdoor diplomacy: PTI 'comfortable' working with the US Mohammed Rizwan Sloganeering and public rhetoric aside, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf would be willing to partner with the United States, party leaders say.  Swap arrangement: Azerbaijan offers power export to Pakistan Zafar Bhutta To ease the severe power crisis in the country, Azerbaijan has offered to export electricity to Pakistan through a proposed swap arrangement with Iran.  Being a Bhutto: Before leading PPP, Bilawal must learn Urdu, Sindhi Hafeez Tunio If Machiavelli wrote The Prince in present-day Pakistan, an additional chapter in the book would be titled: Learn local languages before leading your party. _______________________________________________  Business Bubble bursts: Farmhouse development sector takes a nosedive Kazim Alam The farmhouse development sector in Karachi has taken a nosedive with business activity dropping by as much as 75%, farmhouse developers told The Express Tribune.  Kosher money: Islamic micro finance fails to take centre stage Farhan Zaheer Despite the extraordinary potential in the country, financial institutions in Pakistan are still not taking Islamic micro financing seriously, said Al Baraka Bank Chief Operating Officer Ahmed Shuja Kidwai. _______________________________________________  Sports Boxing: Khan ready for rematch after shock defeat Our Correspondents Britain's Amir Khan, saying he felt a rightful victory was stolen from him on Saturday, vowed to return stronger after a controversial majority decision defeat to American Lamont Peterson.  Cricket: Pakistan eye win in 1st Test Our Correspondents Younus Khan cracked an unbeaten double century and Asad Shafiq made his maiden international hundred as Pakistan closed in on victory in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong. _______________________________________________  Life & Style Waqar Ali: The melodious maestro Rafay Mehmood I remember seeing Waqar Ali for the first time on Pakistan Television (PTV) channel when he dominated the Top of the Pops charts for seven consecutive weeks with his song 'Paisay Anay Day'. With his quintessential sideburns and curly hair, he ruled the charts back then. However, little did we know, two decades later, the same musician will give us the original soundtrack (OST) to the celebrated Pakistani television serial Humsafar.  Son of Pakistan: Breaking stereotypes Sher Khan After several long delays, Jarrar Rizvi's film Son of Pakistan is set to be released across Pakistan on December 15. The film, which portrays the police as heroes rather than a corrupt and inefficient arm of the state, was originally slated for an April 1 release. _______________________________________________

Opinion What does Pakistan want in Afghanistan? Najmuddin A Shaikh  The imaginations of Pakistani patriots Afiya Shehrbano Zia Corporatising universities Rasool Bakhsh Rais  Fai and Kashmir Sabina Khan  Putting growth on top of the agenda Shahid Javed Burki  Blogs Is my blood not good enough for you? Sami Saayer  The Upper Crust: A taste of Paris in Karachi Farah S Kamal  Virender Sehwag: The Genghis Khan of modern cricket Rohan KalliCharan  What really happens inside a madrassa Farhan Jaffri  Poll Do you think discontent with the PPP will translate into votes for PML-N in Sindh? No (64%, 253 Votes) Yes (36%, 142 Votes) Total Voters: 395  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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