The Express Tribune Newsletter: April 25, 2012

Today's Headlines PM contempt case: D-Day tomorrow Azam Khan The Supreme Court will announce its verdict in a contempt of court case against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday. During Tuesday's hearing, the court reserved its judgment, announcing it will unveil it on April 26. Whipping up fear: Terror chugs into Lahore railway station Rameez Khan A bomb ripped through the waiting lounge of a luxury train at the Lahore railway station on Tuesday evening, killing two persons and injuring over 60, some of them critically. PPP's plans: Despite conviction, Gilani will continue as premier – Dr Asim is likely backup Abdul Manan The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has held exhaustive discussions on the possible outcomes and how exactly they will deal with each scenario emerging in the aftermath of theSupreme Court's decision in the contempt case against the prime minister.  New demarcations: PPP devises strategy to push for Seraiki province Hafeez Tunio Going a step ahead, the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party has devised a strategy to halve Punjab and carve out a new Seraiki province. Business IP pipeline: Govt considers alternative as Russia caves in to pressure Zafar Bhutta The government is working on an alternative plan to finance the $1.5 billion Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline as hopes for funding from Russia fade in the face of mounting pressure from the US to stop the project, says a senior government official. Shrinking the tax net?: Exchange companies exempted from tax on cash withdrawals Shahbaz Rana In a bid to encourage foreign inflows, the federal government has exempted exchange companies from the payment of 0.2% advance tax on cash withdrawals from banks, according to a notification issued here on Tuesday by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). _______________________________________________ Sports Cricket: Whatmore looks to expand bench strength Fawad Hussain / Nabeel Hashmi Seven Pakistan cricketers, including the out-of-favour former captain Mohammad Yousuf and wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, took part in the second phase of the fitness tests at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore as coach Dav Whatmore continued to monitor players. Tennis: Sania says no to Aisam Saleem Khaliq Sania Mirza has refused to partner Aisamul Haq Qureshi on the court despite the Pakistani expressing his interest to play alongside the Indian tennis star several times in the past. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Rabani & Rakha: Blending cultures Saadia Qamar It might not be in the same league as fashion houses JJ Valaya, Tarun Tahiliani or Rohit Bal, but the Delhi-based label Rabani & Rakha — run by husband and wife duo Rahul and Shibani Rastogi and Gautum Rakha — is certainly making waves. One by Ensemble: A fashionista's wonderland Hani Taha If you've ever doubted the magical powers of retail therapy, the opening of a store called 'One by Ensemble' at Dolmen City Mall in Karachi, is bound to turn you into a firm believer. Their collection of perfectly pret, prudently priced and stylish casuals under Rs10,000, is sure to turn the most frugal of shoppers into absolute shopaholics. It displays block-printedkurtas, colour-blocked kameezes and ajrak shirts housed in an expansive and aesthetically pleasing retail space. _______________________________________________

Opinion Tragedy and our assorted morons Ejaz Haider Media is your mirror, remember? Farrukh Khan Pitafi Pakistan-US relations on hold Talat Masood Turkey's soaring ambitions carry risks Tariq Fatemi Why we shouldn't copy Turkey Poonam Pervaiz Blogs The politics of doctors' protests Ali Usman Bhoja Air crash: Where are our media ethics? Mehreen Kasana Hate Story: Vengeance with vulgarity Mahvush Aslam Torture behind the scenes of fashion Furkan Ali Poll Can social media play an effective watchdog role for traditional media? No (22%, 337 Votes) Yes (78%, 94 Votes) Total Voters: 431 Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers Copyrights Jobs Classifieds

The Express Tribune, 5 Expressway Off Korangi Road, Karachi, Sindh 75500, Pakistan You may unsubscribe or change your contact details at any time.

The Express Tribune Newsletter: April 23, 2012

Today's Headlines Scare in the air: Near-disasters prompt scrutiny of air fleets Saad Hassan / Azhar Hussain / Kamran Yousaf Just three days after the fatal Bhoja Air plane crash, two more airliners narrowly escaped disasters on Sunday, prompting the authorities to order a 'shakedown inspection' of the fleets of all private airlines. Bhoja Air plane crash: PML-N rejects 'partial' judicial commission Qamar Zaman A day after the government ordered a judicial inquiry into the tragic Bhoja Air crash, the opposition heaped scorn at the premier for the 'controversial makeup' of the commission for this purpose. PTI aiming to reach out to people of Balochistan: Imran Khan Sidrah Moiz Khan After staging a successful rally in Quetta, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said on Sunday that the party's aim was to reach out to the people of Balochistan who are afraid to come out, fearing for their lives. Ephedrine scandal: Ali Musa Gilani returns to Pakistan Our Correspondents Ali Musa Gilani, son of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and the main accused in the Ephedrine scandal, has returned to Pakistan, Express News reported on Sunday. Business Rental power saga: Court gives an economic paper instead of a legal order Ali Salman The Supreme Court of Pakistan had agreed to not to interfere in economic matters, however, the detailed judgment in the matter of Rental Power Projects (RPPs) shows the apex court has charted into that territory once more. The illegal economy and its impact on global business risk Zeeshan Shah The impact of global risk is more devastating than we think. Emerging economies around the world worry about business risk as they struggle to control economic disparity – which provides the conditions for such risks to arise. _______________________________________________ Sports Hockey: Beijing flashback ahead of Olympics Fawad Hussain After promising improvement when the national contingent returned empty-handed from Beijing four years ago, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) seems to be following the same road. Aamir clinches squash event Our Correspondents Pakistan number one Aamir Atlas clinched the 10th Chief of Army Staff squash event, comfortably defeating Nasir Iqbal 3-0 in the final held in Islamabad. _______________________________________________ Life & Style In Lahore: A food lover's guide Momina Sibtain Food to Lahoris is what a pen is to writer or a credit card to a shopaholic. Nationwide, Lahoris are known to devour their food and most of them could kill for a lot less than a good chop masala. Top 10 highlights of PFDC 2012 Hani Taha Much has been written lauding PFDC as the most credible fashion platform. As the council concludes with its fifth showcase, The Express Tribune counts the 10 ways in which PFDC 2012 further cemented the claim and made the whole experience noteworthy. _______________________________________________

Opinion Social monitoring of media Javed Jabbar Americans and Saudis: hands off Pakistan's pipeline please! Pervez Hoodbhoy The challenge of media freedom Syed Talat Hussain The fight for Siachen Javed Hussain Life and death in Khyber Agency Taha Siddiqui Blogs Dear PEMRA, what is indecent, anti-state, anti-national? Jahanzaib Haque Want rescue? Please hold indefinitely Tehmina Qureshi PTI in Balochistan: Quetta loves Kaptaan Qaiser Roonjha Killed twice: Marrying the man who raped her Aneka Chohan Poll Do you approve or disapprove of how the media covered the Bhoja Air tragedy? Disapprove (81%, 1,282 Votes) Approve (19%, 299 Votes) Total Voters: 1,581 Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers Copyrights Jobs Classifieds

The Express Tribune, 5 Expressway Off Korangi Road, Karachi, Sindh 75500, Pakistan You may unsubscribe or change your contact details at any time.

Top 10 stories of the week (April 15-22 2012)

Top 10 stories of the week

April 15-22, 2012

1. Bhoja Air crash in Rawalpindi: 'No chance of survivors' – Web Desk/Agencies 2. Corporate titan: After 27 years at Engro, Asad Umar calls it a day – Farooq Tirmizi 3. Photos emerge of US soldiers posing with maimed bodies of dead Afghan insurgents - Reuters 4. Bhoja Air B4-213 crash: Passenger list – Web Desk 5. Imran Khan in Quetta: 'Your leaders are afraid of you' – Sidrah Moiz/Ema Anis/APP 6. 'Sterling' bounty offered for Obama, Bush – Our Correspondent 7. Dawn's Magazines head Murtaza Razvi found dead – Web Desk/Our Correspondent 8. Labour Party suspends Lord Nazir over Obama 'bounty' - AFP 9. Imran to AQ – more fuel for PTI's ideological fire? – Zahid Gishkori 10. Upcoming party elections: Qureshi's 'nepotism' irks PTI's old guard – Zahid Gishkori

Top Opinion When Manmohan Singh comes to Islamabad Pervez Hoodbhoy Top Sports No tour: Pakistan-Bangladesh series postponed Web Desk/AFP Top Life & Style Bridal Week Couture: Younis Khan, Umar Gul take turn on the catwalk AFP Top 3 blogs 1. The day I wore a niqab Mariam Magsi 2. Offended by a veiled woman holding a bra? Bina Shah 3. The phone call I wish I had never received Ovais Riaz Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers CopyrightsJobs Classifieds

 

The Express Tribune, 5 Expressway Off Korangi Road, Karachi, Sindh 75500, Pakistan You may unsubscribe or change your contact details at any time.

The Express Tribune Newsletter: April 19, 2012

Today's Headlines   PPP's Seraiki plan sorely needs PML-N support Qamar Zaman The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), despite its continued call for the Seraiki province, has not yet sought the support of PML-N – without which the division of Punjab is unlikely. Intelligence leads: 'TTP chief convenes meeting to plan revenge attacks' Our Correspondent Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakeemullah Mehsud has convened a meeting in North Waziristan to plan targeted attacks in case of the expected resumption of Nato supplies, an intelligence agency's report reveals. NATO supply: 'Pakistan not given deadline to open routes' Our Correspondent Pakistan has not been given any deadline by the US to resume the Nato supply routes since it was already "moving in the right direction", the minister counsellor for public affairs of the US embassy said on Wednesday while speaking to a group of journalists in Peshawar. Pakistan to clock in 4% growth this year: Hafeez Shaikh Our Correspondent Pakistan's Finance Minister Hafeez Shaikh says Pakistan is expected to cap this year with nearly 4% in growth, while the country has to pay $1.4 billion in loan repayments. _______________________________________________ Business Bid foiled: Ministry's plan to increase gas prices by 30% thwarted Zafar Bhutta The petroleum ministry had planned to bring LPG-Air Mix project into full swing by increasing gas prices by 30% even for those consumers who would not be using it. Pakistan needs to arrange Rs7.3t in upcoming year Shahbaz Rana Pakistan will need to raise a huge debt from the market equivalent to 30.3% of the country's economy or Rs7.3 trillion in next fiscal year to retire maturing debt and bridge the gap between income and expenses, according to an International Monetary Fund report. _______________________________________________ Sports Jahangir raising funds to revive squash's lost glory Nabeel Hashmi In a bid to revive the dismal state of squash in Pakistan, Jahangir Khan, along with the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF), is raising funds in the US with an aim of helping national players settle there and pursue the sport. Bangladesh tour: This one's for us: Kamal Our Correspondents Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Mustafa Kamal has vehemently denied that his decision to go ahead with the Pakistan tour was due to a 'personal interest' and stressed that the step has been taken to keep relations intact between the two nations while helping the sport in the region. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Set your heart on Sher Dil Sher Khan Pakistani cinema has been struggling to hit a chord with the local audience for a long time. Film directors and producers have tried everything, from covering social evils to showing political corruption, to make the audience connect with their 'reel' treats. Another venture ready to test its value in the market is Sher Dil. It's basically a Punjabi film that portrays the theme of 'every man is a hero' with a number of sub-plots weaved into the main plot. Farhan Saeed: Back with a bang Our Correspondents Singer Farhan Saeed has always had the looks and the voice to make it big in showbiz, but what he had lacked in his music were good lyrics and an unforgettable melody. Maybe that was the reason why some of his solo endeavours, especially songs like "Khwahishon", couldn't really give him the right start.  _______________________________________________

Opinion Darkness at noon Khurram Husain Towards a Siachen peace park Ahmad Rafay Alam The Faqir of Ipi and the Taliban Nadir Hassan Bannu — an ominous attack Khalid Munir A chronicle of two cities Anwer Mooraj Blogs Cheating on exams: I blame the system Syed Nadir El Edroos Things you never say to an overweight person Faraz Talat Held hostage: When will I see my father? Mishal Jawaid Gilgit-Baltistan: Paradise turned bloody Peer Mohammad Poll Do you think Pakistan and India should withdraw troops from Siachen? No (19%, 215 Votes) Yes (81%, 935 Votes) Total Voters: 1150 Links Contact us Tribune on Facebook Tribune on Twitter About us RSS Feed Subscribe to the Paper Careers Copyrights Jobs Classifieds

 

The Express Tribune, 5 Expressway Off Korangi Road, Karachi, Sindh 75500, Pakistan You may unsubscribe or change your contact details at any time.