The new mini, unveiled alongside a beefed-up Mac Studio, starts at $899 and comes with either Apple’s new M6 chip or the M5 Pro. It is $100 more expensive than its predecessor.

Both devices have become popular with consumers looking to run autonomous AI agents such as OpenClaw locally, with high demand depleting inventories at several Apple stores.

“Whether it’s being used as a home computer, powering a professional studio, or as an always-on agentic device, it’s the little Mac that can do it all,” the company’s hardware boss Johny Srouji said.

The unveiling is likely Apple’s last major launch before Tim Cook hands over the reins to hardware veteran John Ternus in one of its most closely watched leadership transitions. It also highlights mounting cost pressures as memory chip prices climb on strong demand from AI data centres, which prompted Apple to raise prices on some Mac and iPad models in June.

One variant of the new mini is powered by Apple’s 2-nanometer M6 chip, which the company said delivers up to four times faster AI performance and double the graphics and storage speeds compared with the previous M4-powered model.

The higher-end variant, powered by its M5 Pro chip, offers up to an 18-core central processor and 20-core graphics processor, targeting professional users working on tasks such as visual effects.

Apple also refreshed its Mac Studio desktop lineup, introducing versions powered by its M5 Max and new M5 Ultra chips.

Aimed at developers and other professional users, the machines can run large models on-device and combine the computing power of multiple systems for more intensive AI tasks.

Pricing starts at $2,499 for the M5 Max version and $5,499 for the M5 Ultra model, up from $1,999 for the previous generation.

The session started at 2:30pm, with outgoing Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar of the PPP in the chair. Akbar could not retain his seat in the recent general elections.

The PPP had fielded Chaudhry Qasim Majeed and Aamir Abdul Ghaffar Lone for the two offices.

All 46 legislators — 32 from the PML-N and its ally and 14 from the PPP — who had taken oath on Monday participated in the polling.

Farooq, elected from LA-7 (Bhimber City), secured 32 votes, while Majeed, elected from LA-2 (Chakswari), received 13 votes, with one PPP vote being rejected.

The rejected vote was reportedly cast by PPP lawmaker Zobia Khurshid Raja, who was elected to a women’s reserved seat through a draw of lots after her votes had equalled those of PML-N candidate Riffat Abid.

After Majeed and some other PPP lawmakers pointed out that Raja’s vote had been rejected, she reportedly told a colleague that she had marked a tick rather than a cross on the ballot paper.

Farooq was then administered the oath by his predecessor.

PML-N leader Raja Farooq Haider, whose camaraderie with Akbar is well known, paid rich tribute to him for running the House smoothly. He highlighted that he and Akbar were the last members of the outgoing Assembly who had also been elected in 1985, following the restoration of democracy in AJK and Pakistan.

PPP regional president Chaudhry Muhammad Yasin also paid what he described as a “big tribute” to Akbar, praising his unflinching commitment to the PPP and democracy.

Farooq later conducted the election for deputy speaker, which was won by Qadri with 32 votes. Interestingly, Lone also secured 13 votes, with one PPP vote being rejected again, prompting speculation within the party about whether the rejection was deliberate rather than accidental.

Farooq then administered the oath to Qadri as deputy speaker.

Both Qadri and Lone belong to Kashmiri refugee constituencies — the former from Rawalpindi and the latter from Karachi.

The PML-N had reportedly earlier decided to field Raja Asif of LA-11 (Sehnsa) for the slot, but he declined the offer. The PPP had initially nominated Zaffar Iqbal Malik of LA-8 (Raj Mahal) before changing its decision and fielding Lone.

Members from both sides made brief speeches congratulating Farooq on his election and expressing good wishes. Alongside Haider, among those who spoke were PML-N president Shah Ghulam Qadir, Syed Shoukat Shah, Sehrish Qamar, Pir Mazhar Saeed and Qadri. PPP members also spoke, including Yasin, Majeed, outgoing prime minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, Abdul Majid Khan, Mian Abdul Waheed and Deevan Ali Chughtai.

They expressed the hope that the new speaker would ensure impartiality in conducting the proceedings and provide adequate space to both the treasury and opposition benches to voice their concerns.

Former law minister Mian Abdul Waheed said Farooq had earned the office through his political struggle, hard work and contribution to the parliamentary system.

“You got this office on merit, owing to your political struggle, hard work and valuable contribution to the system. I congratulate your party for elevating you to this office,” he said.

Farooq, a Bhimber resident who defeated former prime minister Chaudhry Anwarul Haq by a margin of more than 12,000 votes, is the PML-N’s regional secretary general. He is regarded as a well-versed and articulate politician who regularly engages with party workers and the wider public through social media platforms.

He also has close connections with the Kashmiri diaspora in the UK and Europe. Several prominent members of the diaspora, including Ateeque-ur-Rehman, a former mayor of Oldham, travelled to AJK to attend his swearing-in ceremony.

His election and oath-taking were witnessed from the visitors’ gallery by all three of his wives and his children.

Speaking at the conclusion of the session, Farooq thanked members from both sides and said the office demanded impartiality.

“In a democratic society, the role of the opposition is very important. To me, all members carry equal importance regardless of their affiliations, and I will ensure they get maximum possible opportunity to voice the sentiments of their electorate and problems of their constituencies concerned,” he said.

“I will leave no stone unturned to maintain the dignity, honour and sanctity of this House,” he vowed.

Since the office of the AJK president has remained vacant since January, Farooq will also serve as acting president, as did his predecessor, until the election of a new president.

Meanwhile, the schedule for the election of the leader of the House was also issued on Tuesday. According to the schedule, nomination papers will be submitted and scrutinised on Thursday, followed by polling the same day.

The newly elected leader of the House will take oath before the acting president at the High Court ground on Thursday afternoon.

In response to Imran’s petition filed in May, the SC on August 18 ruled that meetings should be facilitated between the prisoner and his family members once a week. The court had also directed that the government would facilitate the prisoner in speaking to his sons by telephone twice a week.

Following the SC’s directions, Imran’s family reassured the court that they would not speak to the media.

According to PTI lawyer Awais Younas Chaudhry, Noreen’s meeting with Imran today lasted around 45 minutes.

“Earlier, Bushra Bibi’s family was allowed to meet her, and then it was conveyed that Noreen Niazi could meet Imran Khan,” Chaudhry told Dawn.

“The other two sisters were waiting in the vehicle. When Noreen Niazi came out of the jail, all the sisters left without speaking to the media,” he said.

Chaudhry said that PTI was following the guidelines and orders of the apex court.

Noreen had also met Imran last Tuesday, on August 18.

“We really appreciate the role of the Supreme Court as the meetings with PTI’s founding chairman have become possible only because of the court,” Chaudhry said.

He said he hoped the government would implement the court orders in full and shift Imran to Shifa International Hospital for medical treatment, where his personal physicians would be allowed to examine him.

On August 18, the SC had also ordered that Imran be shifted to Shifa International Hospital within two days. However, Imran was taken to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in the early hours of Friday.

In October 2025, the Islamabad High Court directed the Adiala jail superintendent to implement a March 24 order that reinstated the twice-a-week meeting schedule for the PTI founder.

The ex-premier’s family and party had repeatedly accused prison authorities of “sabotaging” meetings with him.

In March 2025, the IHC had directed jail authorities to allow Imran twice-a-week meetings with his family. However, following the order, his family and PTI leaders continually alleged that the meetings had not been allowed.

The same three-member bench, comprising Justice Shahid Waheed, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, which issued the Aug 18 order, will hear the contempt plea filed by Imran’s sister.

On Sept 16, the bench was also scheduled to resume hearing the pending cases concerning the former premier’s health and issues related to family meetings.

Since the same three-judge bench is available on Sept 16, the contempt plea will also be taken up by the same bench, as well as other related cases.

However, it is not clear whether the same bench will also take up the review petition of the Islamabad chief commissioner, questioning the court’s directions to shift PTI founder to a private hospital.

An informed source told Dawn that early fixation of the case could not be possible in view of the fact that there were 94 different criminal original petitions of the same category pending before different benches of the SC.

The fixation policy requires that cases must be fixed for hearing on their turn in the relevant category and it is unlikely that the turn of the contempt case may come, the source said, adding since the main case – relating to the health of Imran – was pending on Sept 16, so it was expected that the contempt of the court plea would also be taken on the same date.

Earlier in the day, the PTI resubmitted the contempt of court petition by PTI founder sister to the SC’s registrar against the alleged violation of its Aug 18 order.

Later, Imran’s sister Uzma Khan also filed an application for the early hearing of the contempt petition.

The contempt plea was re-submitted shortly after the SC returned it after raising certain objections.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said that the SC registrar had informed him that the petition was being returned, with one of the objections being that the list of charges levelled against the respondents had not been dispatched. He had also said that the PTI was going to resubmit the petition after removing the objections raised.

Last week, Imran’s sister Uzma Khan had filed a petition before the SC against authorities for violating the court’s Aug 18 order. In its order, the court had ordered the government to shift Imran to Shifa International Hospital, a private facility, within two days for examination and treatment by a multidisciplinary medical board.

However, the government instead took the PTI founder to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), a government hospital, for a check-up and then subsequently transported back to prison. At the time, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had blamed “the security situation created by PTI workers on the way to and outside” the hospital for the diversion.

In her petition, Uzma — who was present for the check-up — had named Islamabad Chief Commissioner (retired) Lieutenant Sohail Ashraf, Interior Secretary Ahmed Raza Sarwar, Punjab Inspector General Prisons Mian Salik Jalal, Adiala Jail Superintendent Sajid Baig, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar as respondents.

She had alleged that the respondents had committed wilful, deliberate and contumacious disobedience and violation of the order. She had also requested the apex court to depute an officer or appoint a local commission to ensure that Imran was immediately shifted to the private hospital in accordance with its earlier directions.

At the same time, the Islamabad chief commissioner had also approached the SC, seeking an early hearing of his review petition, in which the legality of the Aug 18 order was questioned.

On Monday, Gohar had met the SC registrar and was assured that a bench would be constituted soon to proceed with the contempt of court petition.

Responding to a question, he had also brushed aside the impression of any deal with the government, saying that the PTI founder did not make deals, otherwise he would not have spent three years in prison.

Early hearing plea

In her plea for an early hearing, Uzma highlighted that the matter at hand concerned the life, health, dignity and physical well-being of Imran, whose health was “deteriorating and whose life is stated to be in jeopardy”.

“Every further delay may cause serious and irreparable harm,” the application said.

The application stated that the Aug 18 court order was required to be obeyed forthwith and in letter and spirit.

“The filing or pendency of any review petition on part of the chief commissioner does not, by itself, suspend or dilute the binding force of the order unless its operation is expressly stayed by the Supreme Court,” the petition said.

It added that respondents named in the contempt plea were legally required to act strictly in accordance with the directions of the Supreme Court.

“If any genuine clarification or modification was considered necessary, the proper course was to approach the Supreme Court, rather than to depart from or substitute its express directions,” it argued.

The applicant also expressed regret that “disobedience” by the respondents was “continuing in nature” and emphasised that this required “immediate judicial consideration so that the authority of the Supreme Court was upheld and its directions concerning the life and health of the prisoner were implemented without further loss of time”.

“The applicant has a strong prima facie case and the balance of convenience lies entirely in favour of early fixation,” the application said, arguing that no prejudice would be caused to the respondents if the matter was heard at the earliest.

However, it added, a delay may cause “irreparable loss and injury”.

The application also cited media reports and recalled that the chief commissioner, in his review petition, had also prayed for an early hearing of his plea.