The Express Tribune Newsletter: May 25, 2012 ~ Mera Pak Watan

The Express Tribune Newsletter: May 25, 2012

Today's Headlines

The final word?: Speaker refuses to disqualify PM

Irfan Ghauri

Two days before the possible expiry of a 30-day deadline to decide on the fate of the prime minister, the National Assembly speaker dismissed bids to disqualify Yousaf Raza Gilani following his conviction by the Supreme Court in a contempt case last month.

Secretary-level talks: Pak, India finalise new visa regime

Kamran Yousaf

Pakistan and India have finalised a new visa regime that seeks to do away with the decades-old strict travel restrictions on cross-border movement of their citizens.

Polio eradication: $10m discrepancy in polio funding surfaces

Sehrish Wasif

The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme is seeking yet another loan of $35 million, against the $24.85 million actually needed, from the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to "swiftly run the polio campaign in 2012".

Next fiscal year: NEC approves 27% higher development budget

Shahbaz Rana

Amid the boycott by two provincial chief ministers, the National Economic Council (NEC) on Thursday approved Rs873 billion for development spending in next financial year, which is higher by Rs186 billion or 27% over expected expenses on development projects this year.

Business

Recovery drive: Mobilink bank accounts locked down

Shahbaz Rana

Tax authorities on Thursday seized all bank accounts of Mobilink until it recovers Rs8.6 billion, an amount the country's largest cellular service provider collected from customers in form of taxes but did not deposit in the national exchequer.

Reko Diq saga: As time elapses, govt fails to nominate arbitrator

Zafar Bhutta

In first signs of a setback, the government has failed to nominate an arbitrator in a case on multi-billion-dollar Reko Diq gold and copper mining project filed by Tethyan Copper Company – a Canadian and Chilean joint venture – in the International Centre for Settlement of Disputes in Washington DC, sources say.

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Sports

Azlan Shah Cup: Pakistan draw first blood on blue turf

Fawad Hussain

Pakistan got their Azlan Shah Cup campaign and the Olympics preparation off to a flying start as they beat Argentina 4-2 in the tournament's opening match in what was the Greenshirts' first international on the blue Astroturf.

Cricket: Australia offers to host ODI, T20 series

Saleem Khaliq

While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is looking for venues to host Australia for a limited-overs series, Cricket Australia (CA) has offered to play in the northern areas of the country.

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Life & Style

Rahim Khan: A musical flight to change

Hidayat Khan

He stumbled upon his love of music in college and since then he has never really looked back. Rahim Khan, a lawyer by profession, sang his first song in Nishtar Hall, "Da Zama Pa Tamasha Wa" (She Was Looking At Me With Love) in 1991 in a grand show organised by Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).

Indus Raag: 13 hours of soul-stirring music

Mushir Anwar

When public institutions created to promote the arts and the professions become dysfunctional, creative people, who have something to give, open channels for themselves.

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Opinion