The Express Tribune Newsletter: June 23, 2012

Today's Headlines   Stepping into Gilani's shoes: Prime time for Pervaiz Qamar Zaman It was a scene few would have thought of even a few weeks ago: Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. New PM strikes a conciliatory note Our Correspondent In his first speech to Parliament shortly after his election as the country's prime minister, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf struck a conciliatory note – inviting opposition parties to help his government steer the country out of a myriad of problems. 'Write-a-letter' case resumes on June 27 Qaiser Zulfiqar Minutes before his election as the new prime minster, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf received a strong message from the country's highest court. Relationship on the rocks: US considering covert raids in Pakistan Kamran Yousaf The US-Pakistan relationship may be at a nadir, but there's plenty of room for it to hit rock bottom.   Business Quarterly report: SBP terms 3.7% growth rate a notable feat Our Correspondent The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has termed the economic growth of 3.7% 'notable', a figure that is below the government's target of 4.2%. After consulting, a hesitant Ansari takes helm at Engro Kazim Alam Only a man in a million would have the audacity to turn down the best job there ever was in the corporate sector of Pakistan. _______________________________________________ Sports 1st Test: Pakistan toil in the Galle heat AFP Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara hammered centuries as Sri Lanka walloped Pakistan on the opening day of the first Test in Galle. France plot downfall of pass masters Spain AFP The number of short, technically gifted midfielders in France's squad bears testament to coach Laurent Blanc's admiration for today's Euro 2012 quarter-final opponents Spain. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Obaidullah Baig: Pakistan loses its 'Kasauti' champion Rafay Mahmood You could be talking about a character from ancient mythology; a river that no longer exists, a rare breed of animal in the Amazon or an invention that changed the world – for Obaidullah Baig, it was simply a matter of 20 questions. Lifestyle: Will Pakistani products find space in Indian shelves? Momina Sibtain While there is a market for their goods, Pakistani designers feel trade barriers will prevent them from being successful in India. _______________________________________________

Opinion Punjab's local bodies deception Sarwar Bari The myth of a journalist Ayesha Siddiqa Pervasive misogyny Tazeen Javed For the good of democracy Farrukh Khan Pitafi Media morals Salman Masood Blogs Trolling — the twisted hobby of some Saba Khalid Drones are NOT our friends Mariam Kizilbash The good, the bad and the ugly of Coke Studio episode 3 Alina Ilyas Imran Khan's strategy: End corruption Azeem Ibrahim Poll Should Salman Butt appeal the ICC ban, now that he is free? No (75%, 357 Votes) Yes (25%, 116 Votes) Total Voters: 473 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: June 22, 2012

Today's Headlines Premiership race: On election day, PPP keeps up the intrigue Irfan Ghauri Parliament will elect a prime minister today (Friday) – but with the previous frontrunner suffering a setback in the form of a non-bailable arrest warrant, the speculation surrounding who the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)'s top candidate continued on Thursday. Double jeopardy: Forget ephedrine – ever heard of dextropropoxyphene? Arif Rana Already faced with the ephedrine case, another controlled substance-related scandal is shaping up against Makhdoom Shahabuddin. Ephedrine scandal: Arrest warrant issued for PPP's PM candidate Mudassir Raja Premiership in Pakistan, it seems, is a curse these days. Days after a sitting prime minister was dismissed by the apex court, the would-be prime minister has been made a wanted man. Liver transplants: Pioneering surgeons may leave Sheikh Zayed Hospital Ali Usman Two of Pakistan's pioneering liver transplant surgeons, responsible for leading the first transplant without the help of a foreign doctor, are likely to discontinue their services at the Sheikh Zayed Hospital (SZH) due to a lack of operating facilities. Business No trespassing: OGRA to cancel pipeline allocation of LNG importers Zafar Bhutta The liquefied natural gas (LNG) import programme is facing major hiccups as the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has decided to cancel the pipeline capacity allocated to LNG importers after taking the petroleum ministry into confidence because of the failure of the importers to meet commitments within the set timeframe. Mystery visit: Why was the Google chairman in Pakistan? Farooq Tirmizi If the Google chairman's quick, unannounced visit to Pakistan has anyone optimistic about Google investing in Pakistan; they should not get their hopes up. Eric Schmidt was here for nothing of the sort. _______________________________________________ Sports Pakistan thrash India in kabaddi semi Nabeel Hashmi Abrar Khan's successful touch in the dying seconds gave Pakistan a thrilling 32-30 win over defending champions India in the kabaddi semi-final of 3rd Asian Beach Games being played in Haiyang, China. Deported to Pakistan, Salman Butt says he is innocent of spot-fixing Gibran Ashraf Returning to Pakistan after spending close to nine months in prison in Britain, former Pakistan national cricket team captain Salman Butt maintained that he was innocent of spot-fixing, clarifying that he had served a sentence for "failure to report" advances from a bookie. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Is Asim Jofa talking about you? Atika Rehman Are you a spoilt woman who is not ashamed to say it? If that description is fitting, then Asim Jofa's newest billboards are all about you. If you (like us) were bewildered by the bizarre slogans "Why drive when I'm driven?" and "Why wait when I'm waited upon?" that have mushroomed around the city, then wonder no more. We got the brains behind the campaign to enlighten us about the ads that have been the centre of ridicule on social media forums. From New Orleans, with love: Bringing people together Sher Khan "America has no right to point fingers at another nation because our history textbooks are brimming with stories of bloodshed." This strong statement was made by John Cannon, a member of the New Orleans-based The Stooges Brass Band (TSBB) that is visiting Pakistan. _______________________________________________

Opinion Gates, gates everywhere Kamran Shafi Power and popularity Arif Rafiq Blood money Rasul Bakhsh Rais A terrible responsibility Amber Darr Punjab's budgetary allocations Dr Pervez Tahir   Blogs Imran Khan's strategy: End corruption Azeem Ibrahim CJ Chaudhry and Zardari are here to stay Sultan Babar Mirza How not to lose your kid Bushra Anwar It's not all Sami's fault Amna Lone   Poll Who do you think will be the next prime minister of Pakistan? Qamar Zaman Kaira (43%, 249 Votes) Raja Pervaiz Ashraf (17%, 97 Votes) Maulana Fazlur Rehman (15%, 85 Votes) Sardar Mehtab Abbasi (12%, 72 Votes) Makhdoom Shahabuddin (14%, 79 Votes)  Total Voters: 580 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: June 21, 2012

Today's Headlines Gilani's replacement: PPP picks Makhdoom Shahabuddin for top slot Irfan Ghauri / Zia Khan The nominations are out, and the leading party seems poised for a showdown with the judiciary. Nawaz hits out at PPP Fazal Khaliq A day after Yousaf Raza Gilani was disqualified in a contempt case, opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)'s chief hit out at the Pakistan Peoples Party, and said "they reaped what they sowed by clashing with the judiciary." Not to be sidelined: PML-N reaches out to JUI-F, MQM Qamar Zaman Still in the process of finalising its exact strategy for the election of the leader of the house, the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is expected to put forward a candidate for the race. Dr Aafia still alive: US prison spokesperson Huma Imtiaz An official for the holding facility where neuroscientist Dr Afia Siddiqui is being kept, has denied rumours of her death. Business Gas wars: Govt to press ahead with energy-efficiency audit Zafar Bhutta Setting aside concerns of fertiliser companies, the government has decided to press ahead with plans to conduct an energy-efficiency audit in order to provide gas to efficient units on a priority basis. Next loan programme: High defence spending to come under spotlight Shahbaz Rana Pakistan's defence budget will come under scrutiny in any future arrangement with the International Monetary Fund, as it will be difficult for the IMF to present a case in its board where defence spending is higher than development expenses, says a former IMF official. _______________________________________________ Sports Cricket: Whatmore has hurt the team's progress, says Mohsin Fawad Hussain Former Pakistan coach Mohsin Khan has criticised current coach Dav Whatmore, holding him responsible for 'hurting the team's progress and balance' before adding that the team would have shown better results if he was allowed to continue.         PCB announces Rs700m deficit budget Nabeel Hashmi The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has approved a deficit budget of Rs700 million for the fiscal year 2012-13 in its recent Governing Board (GB) meeting chaired by the board's chairman Zaka Ashraf. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Zain Mustafa: 'It's time to slay the dragons' Maha Amin After settling in Dubai in 2003, Zain Mustafa began to establish a niche for himself as an up and coming interior designer. Although he had no plans to move back to Karachi, his hometown, returning to the city to meet with a potential client two years ago suddenly made him change his mind and he decided to stay. Mustafa moved back into his childhood home which he redecorated to better suit his unique taste — avant garde, mercurial and in-your-face refreshing. Khumariyaan: The sound of intoxication Rafay Mahmood When you run a search for 'Khumariyaan' on Facebook's search tab, images of whiskey bottles will pop up. This is because the Pashto word khumariyan in English translates to intoxicants. But if you look a little harder online for the page dedicated to the Peshawar-based instrumental band Khumariyaan, their smooth blend of the rabab and keyboards with a dash of the guitar will send you in a trance. They could very well be the next big musical sensation in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. _______________________________________________

Opinion Reading men (and women) Shahzad Chaudhry Hubris falls Nadir Hassan Judicial coup: flashback India, 1975 Avirook Sen A dark omen for us all Ahmad Rafay Alam Down … but this time out Anwer Mooraj Blogs Fauzia Wahab: A trailblazer for Pakistani women Dr Saifur Rehman Yes, I don't watch TV Meiryum Ali I hate you Ali Gul Pir Salman Qureshi Euro 2012: Never a dull moment! Muhammad Tauha Poll Is introducing a 'none of the above' vote option in ballot papers a good idea? No (34%, 187 Votes) Yes (66%, 366 Votes) Total Voters: 553 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: June 20, 2012

Today's Headlines Gone: 'The office of the prime minister stands vacant' Azam Khan A swift, short order sent the longest-serving prime minister packing home on Tuesday. Accepting verdict, PPP begins hunt for new PM Zia Khan Surprisingly, confrontation does not seem to be the option the embattled government has opted for. It has opted, instead, for pragmatic planning after two emergency meetings – first of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)'s Central Executive Committee and then of the leaders of coalition partners.   Decisions taken by Gilani, cabinet come into question Irfan Ghauri The Supreme Court has made it clear in its short order that Yousaf Raza Gilani stood disqualified as the prime minister since April 26, the day the court convicted him on contempt charges. Sir Creek easiest of problems, want movement on terrorism: India Aditi Phadnis "Sir Creek is the easiest of the India-Pakistan problems to resolve. But we must see some movement on terrorism" said an Indian official, who was part of the Sir Creek talks.   Business Force field: PAC slams audit dept for protecting the corrupt Shahbaz Rana Once praised for its untiring work, the audit department came under criticism, for the first time, here on Tuesday when the Public Accounts Committee found that the department was working hand in glove with corrupt elements. Restaurant chain: Fatburger decides to taste the local market Farooq Baloch After I decided that I wanted to start a new business, a bookshop, the best person I could think of for guidance was Rahim bhai.  He had years of experience in distributing and selling books and magazines all over the country. _______________________________________________ Sports Cricket: BCB avoids discussion on Pakistan tour Fawad Hussain Pakistan were dealt a massive blow when their captain Misbahul Haq was ruled out of the first Test against Sri Lanka that starts on June 22 in Galle after he was suspended for a 'serious over-rate offence' during the final One-Day International (ODI). Asif eyes revenge in snooker event Our Correspondents Pakistan number one Mohammad Asif will be looking to settle a score with Asjad Iqbal when the pair faces off in the semi-final of the Jubilee Insurance 3rd Ranking Snooker Championship at the Karachi Gymkhana today. _______________________________________________ Life & Style Ghazala Javed: A nightingale plunged into silence Hidayat Khan / Rafay Mahmood When Pashto singer Ghazala Javed walked onto any stage in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it was always to the whistling of adolescent boys. The girls were also admirers, as they dreamed to dress and sing like her. The K-P belt swooned when she hummed songs of love and passion. Sadly, this feeling of romantic indulgence came to a screeching halt when the news of her death spread. Javed, a combination of beauty and brilliance, was shot dead on Monday by unidentified gunmen outside a beauty parlour in Peshawar. People and cities: An artist's muse Taneeya Hasan Oscar Wilde's famed saying, "Art is the most intense mode of individualism", seems to be the gist of photographer/artist Hamra Abbas' work. At a small gathering at the ArtNow office in DHA Phase 5 on Friday, the young artist spoke to a captivated audience about her inspiration — the culture and people of the various cities across the world where she has lived. _______________________________________________

Opinion Mind your language! Tariq Rahman Kashmir and the Indian state Kuldip Nayar Justice and moderation Khaled Ahmed Indo-US ties and Pakistan Tariq Fatemi Pakistan and the SCO Imtiaz Gul   Blogs Put a red dress on Arfa Ezazi The horror of 'the other side of the bridge' Sana Ashraf 'Punish' the eunuchs, because they are 'vulgar' Muhammad Rafay Zafar Drones are our friends Pirzada Hasaan Hashmi Poll In your opinion, which era was better? Musharraf era (81%, 593 Votes) PPP current era (19%, 135 Votes) Total Voters: 728 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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