Apna Forum Media Group

25/09/2025

NEW YORK – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to factor in the devastating economic impact of recent floods during its upcoming review of Pakistan’s programme.

He made the remarks in New York on Wednesday during a meeting with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly session.
Pakistan has faced record monsoon rains since late June, intensified by dam releases from India, which have submerged vast areas of Punjab and Sindh. According to the National Disaster Management Authority, over 1,000 people have died since 26 June, while more than 2.5 million residents have been displaced. Massive damage to farmland and industry has threatened food supplies, exports and recovery efforts.

18/09/2025

ISLAMABAD: In a fresh development, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday suspended the single-bench Justice Babar Sattar's order that had removed Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (retd) Hafeez Ur Rehman from his post.

A two-member division bench comprising Justices Muhammad Asif and Inaam Ameen Minhas heard the intra-court appeals filed by the federal government, the PTA, and the removed chairman.

Advocate Qasim Wadud appeared on behalf of retired Major General Hafeez Ur Rehman before court.

During the proceedings, PTA’s counsel Advocate Salman Mansoor raised serious procedural objections to the earlier ruling.

“The single-bench decision granted relief that wasn’t even sought in the petition,” Mansoor told the court.

“Neither were the rules governing the removal of the PTA chairman challenged, nor was a legal notice issued to the Attorney General before the order,” he argued.

PTA’s counsel further maintained that the judgement violated the principles laid out in Article 199 of the Constitution.

“Relief cannot be granted for something that is not sought in the petition,” he contended.

“Even [the] court acknowledged that arguments were not completed when the judgement was reserved,” he said.

He further argued that two petitions containing objections had been filed, but the bench reserved judgement without hearing those objections.

“[The] court reserved the verdict on a day when some of the counsel were on leave,” he maintained.

At which, Justice Muhammad Asif said: “You were given ample opportunity to argue your case.”

After hearing arguments, the court suspended Babar Sattar’s ruling and reinstated Hafeez Ur Rehman as PTA chairman.

The 99-page judgement issued by Justice Babar Sattar, provides for the appointment of the head of regulatory authority’s head on temporary basis.

In his verdict, Justice Sattar stated the appointment of the PTA chairman was not legally valid, adding that a senior member of the PTA shoul

18/09/2025

RAWALPINDI: Eye-opening revelations have surfaced in confessional statements of key witnesses obtained by Geo News, concerning the undervaluation of a jewellery set in the Toshakhana 2 case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.

The confessional statements are of Khan's former personal secretary, Inamullah Shah, and the private appraiser of the Bulgari jewellery set, Sohaib Abbasi.

The jewellery set was gifted to Khan and his wife by the Saudi royal family when the former held the office of the PM.

In his statement recorded before the court on Thursday , Shah said that he not only received "double salaries" from both the PTI and his government job from 2019 to 2021, but also coerced a private appraiser to undervalue the Bulgari jewellery set.

"I asked [Sohaib] Abbasi to reduce the value of the jewellery set," he said.

"I was fired from the job due to Bushra Bibi's displeasure; there was no complaint of double salary [she] was suspicious that my brother has links with Jahangir Tareen," Shah remarked, adding that he was posted in Bani Gala as the comptroller of the Prime Minister's House (PMO).

Echoing his remarks, private appraiser Abbasi admitted to undervaluing the jewellery set due to fear and at the direction of Khan's former principal secretary who told him to value it at Rs5 million.

"[Inamullah] Shah threatened that if the value is not reduced, he will be blacklisted from government departments," Abbasi told the court.

The appraiser further said that he has recorded his confessional statement regarding undervaluing the jewellery set before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman as well as a magistrate.

As per NAB officials, the Bulgari jewellery set's actual worth was at Rs75 million, but the former PM undervalued it via the private appraiser at Rs5.9 million, which included a necklace, bracelet, earrings and a ring.

18/09/2025

RAWALPINDI: Security forces eliminated four terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy "Fitna al-Hindustan" in an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Balochistan’s Khuzdar district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the military’s media wing, the IBO was conducted by security forces on September 17 on the reported presence of militants.

"During the conduct of the operation, own forces effectively engaged the terrorists’ location, and after an intense fire exchange, four Indian sponsored terrorists were sent to hell," the ISPR said.

It added that weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area.

The ISPR said that a sanitisation operation is being conducted to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, reaffirming that the security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of Indian-sponsored terrorism from the country.

The Khuzdar IBO comes days five terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy "Fitna al Hindustan" were killed in the same district on Septmeber 14 and 15.

Speaking at the Council’s briefing on Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said that multiple terrorist entities, including Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Majeed Brigade continue to operate from Afghan sanctuaries.

The anti-terror operations are part of the government and the security forces' ongoing efforts to eliminate terrorism as the country has witnessed a surge in cross-border terror incidents since Taliban rulers returned to Afghanistan in 2021, particularly in the bordering provinces of KP and Balochistan — both of which share border with Afghanistan.

The two nations share a porous border spanning around 2,500 kilometres with several crossing points which hold significance as a key element of regional trade and relations between the people ac

18/09/2025

ISLAMABAD: A new six-year Country Programme Framework (CPF) has been signed between Pakistan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) aimed at strengthening cooperation in peaceful nuclear applications ranging from food security to energy and healthcare.

Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) Chairman Dr Raja Ali Raza Anwar and IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation Hua Liu signed the fifth CPF, covering 2026–2031 on the sidelines of the IAEA General Conference in Vienna, Austria, The News reported.

The framework identifies five priority areas including food and agriculture; human health and nutrition; climate change and water resource management; nuclear power; and radiation and nuclear safety.

It aligns with Pakistan's development goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while covering three IAEA technical cooperation cycles.

Agriculture, which makes up nearly a quarter of Pakistan’s GDP, will see expanded use of nuclear techniques to boost crop yields, enhance pest control, and improve livestock health. In health, the CPF focuses on expanding nuclear medicine and radiation oncology services across the country’s 20 Atomic Energy Cancer Hospitals, which already treat more than a million patients annually.

With Pakistan among the most climate-vulnerable nations, nuclear techniques such as isotope hydrology will help manage water resources and adapt to changing weather patterns. In the energy sector, where nuclear contributes over 18 per cent of annual power generation, the CPF emphasises safe plant operations, waste management, and life-cycle planning.

“The signing of this Country Programme Framework reaffirms Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology,” Dr Anwar said.

“With the support of the IAEA, Pakistan will continue to harness these tools to address food security, improve healthcare, strengthen energy security, and safeguard our envi

18/09/2025

Pakistan has told the UN Security Council that terrorism from Afghanistan remains the gravest threat to its national security, urging that the issue be addressed as a priority for regional peace.

Speaking at the Council’s briefing on Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said that multiple terrorist entities, including Daesh-K, Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Majeed Brigade — continue to operate from Afghan sanctuaries.

He said more than 60 terrorist camps are functioning as hubs for cross-border infiltration and attacks, adding that Pakistan has "credible evidence" of collaboration among these groups through joint training, illicit weapons trade, refuge to militants and coordinated assaults aimed at civilians, security forces and development projects in Pakistan.

Ambassador Iftikhar highlighted the online dimension of the threat, saying nearly 70 propaganda accounts traced to Afghan IP addresses were being used by these groups and must be curbed with the cooperation of social media platforms.

16/09/2025

KARACHI: Police have issued a strict warning to cricket fans ahead of the high-voltage Pakistan vs India Asia Cup clash, urging them to avoid aerial firing during or after the game.

Additional Inspector General (AIG) Karachi, Javed Alam Odho, stressed that aerial firing will not be tolerated under any circumstances. He reminded citizens that the act is a serious legal offence and often results in the tragic loss of lives.

Odho said that those found involved in such illegal activities will be arrested immediately, and cases will be registered against them without delay.

An India-Pakistan cricket match is always a blockbuster, but emotions are running even higher as the nuclear-armed neighbours engaged in a four-day military conflict earlier this year.

India, the reigning 20-over world champions, are firm favourites to retain their Asia Cup title and are determined not to let geopolitics derail their campaign.

Pakistan also opened their account with an easy victory against Oman, but their batting has been rather inconsistent.

16/09/2025

ISLAMABAD: In a stunning reversal, the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) has finally withdrawn its explosive report that cited irregularities worth Rs375 trillion (Rs375,000 billions) in federal accounts — an amount more than 27 times Pakistan’s annual budget.

The AGP has now issued a revised version, admitting that the earlier edition contained "typos" that inflated the figures to an unprecedented level.

The new report — "Consolidated Audit Report of Federal Government for the Audit Year 2024-25" — was uploaded on the Department of the Auditor General of Pakistan’s official website a few days back.

It acknowledges: "The executive summary of the original version of the Consolidated Audit Report uploaded on the DAGP's website had a few typos. At two places, the word trillion had been used instead of billion. The actual amount after rectification is Rs9.769 trillion".

The office further confirmed that the federal audit exercise itself cost Rs3.02 billion. The revised report explains that the identified irregularities span multiple years and include out-of-budget items such as circular debt, land disputes, and the accounts of corporations and companies. It clarifies that the anomalies, while massive, are consistent with patterns documented in earlier audit reports.

This confirmation vindicates The News, which, despite AGP's denial, had reported weeks ago that the Rs375 trillion figure defied both economic logic and financial reality.

The original report, uploaded in August, had claimed procurement-related irregularities of Rs284 trillion, defective and delayed civil works amounting to Rs85.6 trillion, receivables of Rs2.5 trillion, and unresolved circular debt of Rs1.2 trillion — among other discrepancies.

That version implied Pakistan’s financial irregularities were more than triple the size of the country’s total GDP (around Rs110 trillion) and 27 times larger than the federal budget for FY2023-24 (Rs14.5 trillion). The math simply didn't add up.

Even gover

15/09/2025

15/09/2025

Security forces eliminated 31 terrorists belonging to the Indian proxy "Fitna al Khwarij" in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on September 13 and 14, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Monday.

According to the military’s media wing, an intelligence-based operation was conducted by security forces in Lakki Marwat district on the reported presence of militants.

"During the conduct of the operation, own troops effectively engaged the khwarij location, and after an intense fire exchange, 14 Indian-sponsored khwarij were sent to hell", the ISPR said.

The statement added that another intelligence-based operation was carried out in Bannu district, where 17 more terrorists were neutralised by security forces during the ensuing fire exchange.

08/09/2025

Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu will arrive in Pakistan on Monday (today) for a two-day official visit from September 8–9, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Sunday.

In a statement, FO spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said: “This important visit serves as a precursor to the forthcoming visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Pakistan, scheduled in November.”

The Kazakh DPM will be accompanied by a high-level 13-member delegation, including the minister of transport.

The joint working groups meetings on agriculture and IT will also be held on the sidelines of the visit.

During his stay, the Kazakh DPM will hold a tete-a-tete with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar followed by delegation-level talks. Nurtleu is also expected to call on President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

“The discussions will provide an opportunity to review preparations for the upcoming Presidential visit and to deliberate comprehensively on the entire spectrum of Pak-Kazakh bilateral cooperation, with particular focus on trade and investment, agriculture, education, cultural and tourism exchanges, regional connectivity and logistics and collaboration at multilateral fora,” it was added.

The spokesperson further said that the visit of Kazakh DPM will further cement the longstanding Pakistan-Kazakhstan ties and contribute to deepening bilateral engagements in diverse fields, for the benefit of the people of the two countries.

08/09/2025

KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has warned that "very heavy downpours" may lash Karachi today (Monday) and again tomorrow (Tuesday), as a powerful monsoon system maintains its intensity as a deep depression over land, centred over Tharparkar.

The PMD spokesperson said the system would pass close to Karachi on Tuesday, warning that the situation in the city “may remain severe”, with strong winds of 60 to 70 kilometres per hour likely during the spell.

“This system is producing intense rainfall and could deliver over 100 millimetres of rain in Karachi during the entire spell,” PMD spokesperson Anjum Nazir said, cautioning of urban flooding due to the city’s poor infrastructure.

Low-lying areas could be inundated, and citizens have been urged to avoid weak infrastructure and stay indoors during intense showers.

As per the rain stats shared by the Met Office for 5pm-8am (Sunday to Monday, Karachi recorded light rain in several areas, with Korangi receiving the highest rainfall at 8mm. Gulshan-e-Hadeed saw 5mm, University Road 3mm, Gulshan-e-Memar 3.5mm, Shahrah-e-Faisal 2mm, Old Airport 2.6mm, North Karachi 1.2mm, DHA 1.5mm, Keamari 4mm, Jinnah Terminal 3mm and Surjani Town 2mm, according to the PMD.

The Met Office said intermittent heavy showers with thunderstorms and gusty winds are expected in Karachi, Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Jamshoro, Thatta, Badin, Shaheed Benazirabad and other districts till September 10.

Earlier, the PMD said rain-bearing clouds were present over the eastern parts of the megacity. “These clouds may spread further in the city,” it added.

“Unusual downpours” are expected in Sindh during the next 48 hours, warned the Met Office.

It added that the “depression” over India’s southwest Rajasthan and Gujarat has strengthened into a “deep depression”. The “deep depression” is likely to enter southeastern Sindh within the next 24 hours, said the Met Office.

The weather system may later move towards