Monday, December 19, 2011

The Express Tribune Newsletter: December 20, 2011

 

Today's Headlines

December 20, 2011

 

Clear the 'cobwebs': Continued silence draws 'adverse presumption': SC
Faisal Shakeel
The Supreme Court has set out its stance for the Memogate hearings: sitting on the fence will not be tolerated.The court's nine-member bench on Monday asked the federal government to refute or affirm – within two days – the positions taken by army chief and ISI chief in their replies.
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National/City

Questions Raised: Pressure on Pasha
Our Correspondents
The rhetoric against country's top spymaster has increased in recent days – that too from a number of quarters. 

One-minute wonder: Army mutes rumours on Zardari-Kayani call
Hafeez Tunio
Sometimes in politics, it seems, there can be smoke without fire. The events of the last 72 hours – the most prominent of which was the president's arrival – were attributed by some on Monday to a phone call between President Asif Zardari and the army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

Indonesia boat tragedy: 55 Quetta youth missing at sea
Shehzad Baloch
The crew and captain of an Indonesian boat – packed with illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran – grabbed life vests and swam away as it sank during a heavy storm, leaving more than 200 passengers missing, including 55 people belonging to Quetta's Hazara community. 

EC declares dual nationality holders ineligible to contest polls
Our Correspondents
The Election Commission of Pakistan (EC) on Monday declared individuals holding dual nationalities ineligible to take part in elections.

Pakistan stops billing US for 'war on terror' costs
Shahbaz Rana
The US Navy Seals raid on May 2, when Osama bin Laden was found and killed on Pakistani soil, cost Pakistan in terms of pride and reputation. It has also proved costly in terms of finance.
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Business

SBP annual report: Raising funds remains the key challenge
Our Correspondents
Following a breakaway with the International Monetary Fund, financing of the fiscal deficit – the gap between revenue and expenditures – was and still remains challenging, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in its fiscal 2011 report on the state of economy on Monday. 

New formula: CNG stations may be closed daily for some time
Zia Tanoli
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) Managing Director Arif Hameed has said that the company is considering suspending gas supply to compressed natural gas (CNG) stations every day for a specific time period so that supply to residential consumers could be ensured without any interruption.
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Sports

China to kick off 'memorable' series tomorrow
Our Correspondents
Pakistan will take on China tomorrow in Karachi, marking the return of international hockey in the country, with the players looking forward to playing at home against international opposition after a seven-year hiatus. 

Local rowers waiting for a push
Natasha Raheel
Although rowing is on the rise as a sport in Pakistan, it is not just the increased interest that will land Pakistan a medal at the Olympics — they need good coaches and boats.
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Life & Style

Veena Malik: 'I wasn't missing, just resting'
Saadia Qamar
Currently, Veena Malik is one of the most talked about people in Pakistan. The star was 'missing' for two days but  returned on Sunday morning, stating that she had been "resting". 

PFDC L'Oreal Paris Bridal Week: Bye Bye traditional trousseaus
Hani Taha
If the first day of the bridal week is anything to go by, one expects the entire event to be peppered with 'statement' shows which seek to obliterate the old and create new trends, keeping up with the postmodern life.
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Opinion 

A case of showcase sovereignty!
Mohammad Aasim Saleem 

Been there, done that
Feisal H Naqvi 

The shadow of 1971
Dr Akmal Hussain 

The birth of Bangladesh
Kuldip Nayar 

Our golden boy
Anna Khan 

Blogs

Don't write Federer off yet
Oliver Brett 

A lover, a teen militant, a human being
Aqib Kazmi 

Double standards and the infallible military hierarchy
Vaqas Asghar 

Chronicles from FATA: Your story or your life?
Said Nazir 

Poll

In your opinion, should Pervez Musharraf return to Pakistan in January 2012?

No (32%, 350 Votes)
Yes (68%, 740 Votes)
Total Voters: 1090 

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Sunday, December 18, 2011

The Express Tribune Newsletter: December 19, 2011

 

Today's Headlines

December 19, 2011

 

Facing the music: President Zardari returns under the cover of night
Our Correspondents

The president's arrival prompted almost as much confusion as his departure.Protocol was in place for a landing in Islamabad and Karachi, but ultimately Pre­sident Asif Zardari arrived back in Karachi, where top Pakistan Peoples Party officials had gathered at Bilawal House.
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National/City

Musharraf announces January 2012 return
Abdul Manan
Former president Pervez Musharraf announced on Sunday that he would return to Pakistan in January 2012. Musharraf said, via a videoconference in Lahore from London, that the solution to current challenges did not lie in undemocratic initiatives. Dragging the military into politics would be fatal for the country, he warned. 

Gateway through Memogate: Gilani, Kayani forge 'joint strategy'
Kamran Yousaf
For very different reasons, the unlikely duo of Nawaz Sharif and General James Jones might have saved Pakistan from a civil-military stand-off. 

Imran's party braces for swelling of ranks
Abdul Manan
Imran Khan's charm is spreading. 

Musharraf announces January 2012 return
Abdul Manan
Former president Pervez Musharraf announced on Sunday that he would return to Pakistan in January 2012. Musharraf said, via a videoconference in Lahore from London, that the solution to current challenges did not lie in undemocratic initiatives. Dragging the military into politics would be fatal for the country, he warned. 

Wielding soft power: US offers to finance TAPI gas pipeline
Zafar Bhutta
The US has made a generous offer to finance the multibillion-dollar Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, an implicit gesture to lure Pakistan away from the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline deal.
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Business

Gas crisis solution: As govt goes back on its word, Engro looks abroad
Farooq Tirmizi
What does a company do if it has made a $1.1 billion leveraged bet on a fertiliser manufacturing business that relies on a government that consistently goes back on its word? For the Engro Corporation, it involves exploring the import of its feedstock from abroad, as well as the possibility that it may sell its principal product – urea – to Indian farmers instead of their Pakistani counterparts. 

Too little too late: Ban on CNG kits may not be enough
Farhan Zaheer
Though government has decided to ban the import of CNG kits and cylinders, it has to do much more to make this ban effective enough to control the expansion of CNG sector and the gas shortage in country, industry officials said.
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Sports

2nd Test: Taufeeq steadies Pakistan's response
Our Correspondents
Taufeeq Umar closed in on a half-century to steady Pakistan on day two of the second and final Test against Bangladesh. 

Boxing: Tyson seeks updates on security
Our Correspondents
Former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson has sought updates on security arrangements in Islamabad while keeping his options open for an appearance at the upcoming Benazir Bhutto International Boxing Championship, according to the Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF). 
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Life & Style

Pakistani TV today: Can we go beyond ratings?
Rafay Mehmood
Apart from the exaggerated dialogue delivery and fascination with shaadis, Pakistani TV and Bollywood have another thing in common; the fact that both industries follow trends rather than making them. 

Jharkhand Jhollywood: Do-it-yourself, do it for less
Our Correspondents
In one of India's poorest, most violence-wrecked states, being a movie star means doing your own make-up in a car mirror and then dancing to a soundtrack from a mobile phone. Los Angeles has Hollywood, Mumbai has Bollywood and then there's Jhollywood, a tiny but enthusiastic film industry in the eastern state of Jharkhand.
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Opinion 

A way out of the memogate mess
Shahzad Chaudhry 

A psychological warfare operation
Shaukat Qadir 

Single issue foreign policy
Tanvir Ahmad Khan 

Putting the railways back on track
Anwer Mooraj 

IThe uncertainity that exists
Shahid Javed Burki 

Blogs

Sovereignty is just an illusion
Anas Razzaq 

Household help and hypocrisy
Shayan Naveed 

A lullaby for you, my daughter
Samar Minallah 

Losing East Pakistan: Lessons we didn't learn
Adnan Amir 

Poll

Do you believe Gilani's statement that there is no clash between the Presidency, army and judiciary?

No (86%, 545 Votes)
Yes (14%, 88 Votes)
Total Voters: 633 

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The Express Tribune Newsletter: December 18, 2011

 

Today's Headlines

December 18, 2011

 

Gilani trashes 'clash of institutions' talk
Sumera Khan

http://i1.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/308288-PMgilani-1324183697-384-640x480.jpgFrom vociferously railing against threats to the democratic set-up, to insisting there is no clash of institutions, the prime minister has made a spectacular about-turn within a week.
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National/City reports

Promising 'real democracy': Imran Khan challenges the status quo
Sadaqat Ali
Challenging the status quo, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan vowed on Saturday that his party would bring about 'real democracy' in the country and empower people at the grassroots level.

Memogate case: Citizen's letter prompts notices to president, ISI chief
Faisal Shakeel
The Supreme Court on Saturday allowed a 'concerned citizen' to become a party to the memogate case, in a development that is likely to give a new dimension to its hearings.

Homecoming: Afaq walks free, vows to start from scratch
Saad Hasan
The arch-rival of Karachi's largest party tasted freedom for the first time in seven years on Saturday.

Kayani calls Zardari, says country's interests supreme
Agencies
President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani agreed that the country's interests were supreme, in a teleconference on Saturday.

Lost & Found: Veena Malik staying in Mumbai hotel
News Desk
Model and actress Veena Malik has not reached Pakistan, as reported earlier by the Indian media, but is still staying in a Mumbai hotel, reported Express News on Sunday.
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Business

Weekly review: Bourse plummets to 15-week low
Our Correspondents
The stock market fell to a 15-week low as escalating political tensions resulted in foreign outflows of $11.2 million during the week.

Analytical independence: SBP, finance ministry differ on forex reserve depletion
Shahbaz Rana
The State Bank of Pakistan has questioned the federal government's projections of a marginal decrease in foreign currency reserves, fearing it could fall to as low as $12 billion by June as gap between external payments and receipts balloons to $2.1 billion over the next five months.
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Sports

Pakistan players blocked from playing in Bangladesh league
Reuters
Pakistan players have been refused permission to play in the lucrative Bangladesh Twenty20 league by their cricket board (PCB) in order to concentrate on next month's test series against England in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Shakib, Rahim boost Bangladesh
AFP
Shakibal Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim kept Pakistan at bay on Sunday morning as Bangladesh reached 285-5 in their first innings at lunch on the second day of the second and final Test.
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Life & Style

Aisamul Haq ties the knot
News Desk
Pakistan tennis star Aisamul Haq Qureshi tied the knot with Faha Akmal on Saturday evening at an elaborate ceremony in Lahore, Express News reported.

A good day for brides
Hani Taha
There is little doubt that fashion's biggest market and consumer is the bride. While India has its own dedicated extravaganza 'Bridal Asia' to cater to this enormous industry, Pakistan didn't quite have as glittering a platform, as even the 'Bridal Couture Week' is often a haphazard and lacklustre affair. _______________________________________________

Magazine

Shot in the dark
Fifi Haroon
Two recent markers involving documentary filmmaking made the headlines in Pakistan this year.

10 things I hate about Twilight: Breaking Dawn
Saba Khalid
The soft porn. No one wants to see a lifeless vampire make love to a dull, expressionless, teenager.
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Opinion

Dial M for Memo
Fahd Husain

Dirty talk
Saroop Ijaz

Can Pakistan afford to ignore women?
George Turkington

When liberals opposed progressives
Khaled Ahmed

Land reforms making a comeback
Syed Mohammad Ali

Blogs

A lullaby for you, my daughter
Samar Minallah

Losing East Pakistan: Lessons we didn't learn
Adnan Amir

A female baby, a waste of space
Aneka Chohan

T20 fever and the Big Bash
Dr Amyn Malik

Poll

Do you believe Gilani's statement that there is no clash between the Presidency, army and judiciary?

No (83%, 347 Votes)
Yes (17%, 70 Votes)
Total Voters: 417

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Friday, December 16, 2011

The Express Tribune Newsletter: December 17, 2011

 

Today's Headlines

December 17, 2011

 

Game-changer?: Man who delivered memo casts doubts
Rana Tanveer

In a key development in the Memogate scandal, a principal player has jumped into the fray – potentially turning the case on the matter, currently under scrutiny in the Supreme Court, on its head.
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National/City

Memogate: No reply from Zardari, says Attorney General
Faisal Shakeel
Attorney General of Pakistan (AG) Maulvi Anwarul Haq on Friday ruled out the submission of President Asif Ali Zardari's reply in the Memogate case.

PM-army chief meet: Gilani, Kayani go three hours, one-on-one
Faisal Shakeel
Amidst a rapidly-shifting and charged political scenario, the prime minister and the army chief held a meeting. It was one-on-one, closed-door and over three hours long.

Analysis: Why do we love to hate the US?
M. Ziauddin
The Memogate controversy is getting murkier with hints that, as the case proceeds in the Supreme Court, the appellant, Nawaz Sharif may request the court to issue instructions to the federal government to ask the ISI chief to resign as hinted by the Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar in the National Assembly on Thursday.

US must respect Pakistan's red lines: Gilani
Sumera Khan
Pakistan has sought concrete guarantees from the US that its territorial sovereignty will not be transgressed in the future as a pre-condition to put their strained relations back on track.

Veena Malik mysteriously goes missing from Mumbai
Our Correspondents
Pakistani actress and model Veena Malik has reportedly gone missing from her home in Mumbai, reported Express News on Saturday.
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Business

Gas crisis: Stakeholders agree on new load management plan
Shahbaz Rana
The government and major consumers of natural gas agreed on Friday to a load management agreement that would ration gas over the winter months, as the shortage of natural gas in the country jumps to 1,600 million cubic feet per day, 33% higher than last year.

Car sales may drop 20% after CNG ban
Our Correspondents
Car sales are expected to drop by 20% to 151,000 units in financial year 2012 owing to the government's decision to ban import of compressed natural gas (CNG) kits and cylinders, according to KASB Securities.
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Sports

Off to spoil Bangladesh's party
Fawad Hussain
Pakistan and Bangladesh meet in the second and final Test in Dhaka from today with the visitors aiming to seal 2011 with a win, a year in which they have not lost a Test or a One-Day International (ODI) series.

Afghanistan in debut one-day against Pakistan
Our Correspondents
Pakistan and Afghanistan will play their first ever one-day international cricket match in Sharjah next February, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced Friday.
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Life & Style

Pakistani drama industry: From gold to ashes
Hani Taha
My mother tells me they had to reprint her cousin's wedding cards to include the message that television screens would be put up at the marriage hall. The last episode of the epic drama "Waris" was due to be aired that night and who in their right minds would want to miss it?

Insignia: Hot on heels
Our Correspondents
Before diamonds edged their way into women's lives, shoes were the original trustworthy 'best friend'. Ask any girl you know and she will lament that she just doesn't have enough shoes. They don't call an obsession with shoes a 'fetish' without good reason you know.
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Opinion

Taxila Cross
Salman Rashid

Personal accounts of 1971
Ajmal Kamal

Banning the Beeb
Amina Jilani

Bangladesh days
Dr Pervaiz Tahir

The PTA and the elephant in the room
Amber Haque

Blogs

The tough New Yorkers of Lahore
Hyra Zaka

Be a Cakeoholic
Tazeen Jaffer

Love and tears for Dhaka
Arsalan Khan

Don't blame the gas crisis on the government
Adnan Khalid Rasool

Poll

Do you believe security measures at banks are adequate enough to prevent robberies?

No (89%, 320 Votes)
Yes (11%, 38 Votes)
Total Voters: 358

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Thursday, December 15, 2011

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 

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