The Express Tribune Newsletter: January 20, 2012

Today's Headlines

January 20, 2012

Contempt case: Gilani's contempt hinges on Zardari's immunity Faisal Shakeel Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani arrived at the Supreme Court smiling and waving to the television cameras outside, amid a heavy security presence which included helicopters. _______________________________________________ National/City Showdown in the making?: Daunting challenge faced by the ECP Irfan Ghauri The Supreme Court has its sights set on the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).  Mansoor Ijaz granted Pakistan visa after personal visit to High Commission Web Desk Mansoor Ijaz, the central figure in the Memogate case has been granted a one year multiple-entry visa to Pakistan, Express News reported on Thursday. Homecoming put off?: Musharraf likely to delay return Abdul Manan Former president Pervez Musharraf is in a fix over returning to Pakistan – the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has purportedly given him a go-ahead to return, but his close aides insist otherwise, fearing their inability to organise a reception for his homecoming. 'War against judiciary' meant to pocket $60m: Nawaz Our Correspondent Joining the chorus against a beleaguered government, Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has asserted that the cases against the president were 'genuine' and the country is witnessing complete defiance of the Supreme Court orders by the current government, Express News reported. Voter lists-18th Amendment: SC nearly disqualifies 23 lawmakers; stays by-polls Our Correspondent The Supreme Court on Thursday came very close to a very drastic step: disqualifying 23 legislators. But it stopped short when assured that Parliament was addressing the matter. ______________________________________________ Business Fiscal tightening: SBP opposes debt swap with commercial banks Shahbaz Rana State Bank of Pakistan on Thursday opposed the debt swap deal with commercial banks, warning the federal government to stop ruining the private sector as the country's budget deficit widened to 4.5 per cent or Rs932 billion in the first half of the financial year. OGRA likely to reject high ceiling for gas theft, leakage Zafar Bhutta The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) is likely to reject ceiling of 7 per cent for unaccounted-for-gas (UFG) for gas companies recommended by a consultant on the grounds that it is 'contrary to international practices'. _______________________________________________ Sports  1st Test: Gul-dozed, Aj-mauled, simply blasted Our Correspondents The victory came all too easy, according to Pakistan captain Misbahul Haq, as his team won by 10 wickets inside three days against world cricket's number-one ranked Test side England. Afridi shuns Bangladesh league for Pakistan duty Fawad Hussain A sense of national duty prevailed over money as flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi, after hitting the jackpot at the auction for the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), confirmed that he will miss the Twenty20 tournament and instead turn out for Pakistan against England. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Sajid & Zeeshan: Harvest-ing one song at a time Sher Khan When the news, that the Peshawar-based duo Sajid Ghafoor and Zeeshan Parwez had opted out of their record contract, broke out in November last year, no one knew what to expect from their upcoming album. However, now, after a recording time of three years and after facing several delays, the band's album The Harvest is finally being uploaded online on a twice-a-week basis. Shah Sharabeel: Make way for 'Tom, Dick, Harry' Our Correspondents After hits like "Moulin Rouge" and "Bombay Dreams", director Shah Sharabeel is back with his latest production "Tom, Dick and Harry", an adaptation of the famous comedy of the same name by Ray Cooney and his son Michael. The play has been earlier performed in Lahore and Islamabad and will be hitting the Karachi stage for the first time on January 25. _______________________________________________

Opinion A good day's hearing Nasim Zehra The vultures will have to wait Kamran Shafi Mansoor Ijaz's video and other absurdities Maria Waqar Imran Khan's flawed logic on the war on terror Asad Munir Less for the poor in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Dr Pervez Tahir Blogs Manto: Still relevant, still cherished Fazal Baloch  Pakistan vs England: A history of controversies Jawad Khan Where is Shahnila Naz? Ayesha Hasan Don't close hearts because of Shamsul Anwar Nimra Khan Poll Do you feel the PML-N is playing its part in supporting democracy in Pakistan? No (75%, 513 Votes) Yes (25%, 173 Votes) Total Voters: 686 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 19, 2012

Today's Headlines

January 19, 2012

Political 'science': Irresistible force meets immovable object today Faisal Shakeel The question facing an embattled prime minister as he appears before the Supreme Court today remains: Is there any option to avoid contempt proceedings without writing a letter to the Swiss against his president and party chief? _______________________________________________ National/City Tenure nears end: No more extensions for ISI chief Kamran Yousaf Given the spike in civil-military tensions, it comes as no surprise that the embattled government will not pursue any further extension to retain the services of Director General (DG) of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt General Ahmed Shuja Pasha. NAB chief holds the quill to Swiss letters? Asad Kharal Amidst the rancour surrounding the issue, a new legal point-of-view has come to the fore: The accountability chief is the sole authority, and does not need the president or the prime minister's approval, to write the letters and initiate proceedings in the dreaded three-lettered case – the National Reconciliation Ordinance. PTI, 'a rope around corrupt politicians' neck': Hashmi Owais Jafri Senior politician and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said on Wednesday that his party will be like a "rope around corrupt politicians' neck." JuD promises Imran Khan treat at Difa-e-Pakistan convention Owais Jafri The Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) said on Wednesday that their January 29 Difa-e-Pakistan gathering would be attended by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan,  Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Munawar Hassan  and Awami League chief Sheikh Rasheed among other religious and political party leaders. The JuD added that they had confirmed their presence for the rally. New Ambassador: Sherry Rehman presents credentials to Obama Huma Imtiaz United States (US) President Barack Obama met Pakistan's new ambassador to the US Sherry Rehman on Wednesday and formally accepted her credentials as ambassador. _______________________________________________ Business Gaming the system: It pays to be a 'professional' at OGRA Zafar Bhutta Officials at the country's top oil and gas regulator seem to have found a novel way to pocket some extra cash: getting a 'professional allowance' for completing graduate degrees that then bumps up their base salary by hundreds of thousands of rupees a year. 'Pakistani electronics market to grow to $3.3 billion by 2016' Our Correspondents Pakistan's consumer electronics market is expected to grow by an annualised average of about 13.3% to $3.3 billion by 2016, according to a newly released report by the London-based research firm Business Monitor International. _______________________________________________ Sports Cricket: In the lead, but not in control Our Correspondents Mohammad Hafeez conceded that captain Misbahul Haq's dismissal in the penultimate over of the day was a setback but backed his side to seize the initiative on the third day of the opening Test against England. Pentangular Cup: Kamran in, Malik out Fawad Hussain Discarded wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal will skip the Faysal Bank Pentangular Cup that kicks off today in Karachi and Islamabad. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Adil Omar: Rapper meets songstress Rayan Khan Between working on his album, releasing singles, designing a clothing line, travelling and making countless guest appearances, Adil Omar took out the time to give The Express Tribune an exclusive sneak peek into his anticipated track "Sugar Low". The song is a duet with superstar Meesha Shafi.  Manto was severely affected by Partition and struggled quite a bit in Pakistan, says scholar Our Correspondents Saadat Hasan Manto wrote about rape, murder and the partition of the subcontinent with a mad passion which bordered on morbid reality. Once, it nearly sent him to prison. _______________________________________________

Opinion Make your choice Sami Shah The (extreme) irony of it all Kamran Shafi To defend the homeland Khurram Husain Education reform: a student's perspective Ibrahim Khan River to revitalisation Ahmad Rafay Alam Blogs Don't close hearts because of Shamsul Anwar Nimra Khan Mukarram Khan, Saleem Shahzad…who's next? Sadaf Khan  Government vs Judiciary: When push comes to shove Furkan Ali I told Shamsul Anwar's story Sehrish Wasif Poll Do you believe Pakistan has an independent judiciary? No (58%, 446 Votes) Yes (42%, 323 Votes) Total Voters: 769 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 18, 2012

Today's Headlines

January 18, 2012

SC contempt notice: PPP pulls out its ace Zia Khan When a prime minister is issued a contempt notice, he ought to pick his counsel carefully. In a move that indicates willingness to seek reconciliation with an increasingly assertive judiciary, the government decided on Tuesday to field respected pro-judiciary lawyer Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan. _______________________________________________ National/City 'Ridiculing the court': Wisecracking Awan sent packing Faisal Shakeel The court is in no mood for jesters. An 11-member bench of the apex court found no humour in federation lawyer Babar Awan's poetic jibes at the judiciary, and temporarily suspended his licence on Tuesday for "attempting to ridicule the court." Anticipating arrival: Rabbani's demand for Musharraf's arrest echoes in Senate Zahid Gishkori Former president Pervez Musharraf has announced he's arriving in Pakistan on January 29, but it appears his entry into the country may not be easy – especially after Senator Raza Rabbani demanded that he be arrested. Mansoor Ijaz granted visa for Pakistan News Desk Pakistani-American businessman, Mansoor Ijaz has, according to some media reports, been issued a visa from the Pakistan embassy in Bern, Switzerland, and will be able to travel to Pakistan on January 24 to appear before a judicial commission. Switzerland ready to cooperate in Zardari graft cases Mohammed Rizwan Despite expressing complete neutrality on the graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari and terming it an 'internal matter', the government of Switzerland has said that they will always be ready to cooperate with other states requesting mutual legal assistance through established channels. PML-N offers to resign to clean up govt's mess Sarfaraz Memon Chief of his own faction of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Nawaz Sharif, while declaring the present government a 'security risk' for democracy, said that his party was willing to resign if it helped 'rid the people of this mess'. _______________________________________________ Business Transit trade: Pakistan commits to releasing 700 stranded Afghan containers Shahbaz Rana Pakistan on Tuesday agreed to clear Afghan commercial cargo, stuck at its ports, in 10 days as Kabul warned that small irritants could have a big impact on bilateral relations. New, existing telecom players to vie for 3G licence Our Correspondents The government has launched a mega campaign for auction of three licences for third generation (3G) telecommunication services in the country and has set a base price of $210 million for each licence. _______________________________________________ Sports Cricket: Aj-mauled Our Correspondents Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal admitted that his preparations were marked with emphasis on bowling to left-handers as he ripped through the England batting line-up on the opening day of the 1st Test in Dubai. Afridi named UN Goodwill Ambassador against drug abuse Our Correspondents Beloved cricketer and former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has been named a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations anti-narcotics agency. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Solving parenting equations Rayan Khan Experts say that childhood development is nothing less than crucial. What a child learns at, say, the age of five will set the basis for his/her behaviour, habits and outlook. Consequently, it becomes essential for parents to communicate genuinely and confidently and this is where Maryam Afnan Ahmad — a certified Parent Effectiveness Trainer — comes in. Ali Zafar — The untapped talent Rafay Mahmood Whenever a Pakistani entertainer makes it to an international industry, we feel immensely proud. Whether it's the news of Atif Aslam singing songs for Hollywood production Man Push Cart or reports of Shafqat Amanat Ali extending his classical vocals for a Bollywood film they all bring forth a lot of positive recognition for the nation. However, there is no celebrity who Pakistanis are more proud of than the prodigal singer and actor Ali Zafar. _______________________________________________

Opinion The case for contempt Nadir Hassan Mr Prime Minister, I am proud of you Zainab Imam US defence strategy & implications for Pakistan Tariq Fatemi 'The Taliban are not us' Zahrah Nasir Why choose between bio and comp sci? Muhammad Hamid Zaman Blogs The misunderstood orphan Danish Ali As Pakistani as you Hafsa Ahmad England's might will soon be put to the test Dr Amyn Malik I'm sorry I never thanked you, Arfa Karim Zahra Peer Mohammed Poll In your opinion, should PM Gilani resign given the worsening political situation in Pakistan? No (27%, 407 Votes) Yes (73%, 1073 Votes) Total Voters: 1480 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 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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