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As PTI convoys from across the country were en route to Islamabad on Sunday for the party’s much-touted power show — despite a court order and government warnings against it — the party claimed its workers were being arrested and dispersed using teargas. On Nov 13, Imran Khan issued a “ final call ” for nationwide protests on Nov 24 (today), denouncing what he described as the stolen mandate, the unjust arrests of people and the passage of the 26th amendment, which he said has strengthened a “dictatorial regime”. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that PTI’s planned protest is unlawful and directed the federal government to take all necessary measures to maintain law and order in Islamabad without disrupting public life, particularly as the Belarusian president is scheduled to arrive over the weekend with a high-profile delegation. As PTI supporters, who had set off on their journey earlier in the day, began reaching Islamabad despite government warnings of arrests, the party claimed the police was detaining its workers and using teargas to disperse them. In a post on X at 7:10pm, the PTI shared what it said were “visuals of the extreme shelling by fascist regime against own citizens at Islamabad Express”. Earlier, a Dawn.com correspondent in Islamabad said mobile internet services were down across the city, while major roads, including motorways, were blocked with containers. Pictures shared by the correspondent showed mostly deserted roads and people on motorbikes making their way from a narrow corner of a road blocked by trucks. Trucks block a road in Islamabad. — photo by Umar Bacha “These constant protests are destroying the economy and creating instability ... we want the political leadership to sit together and resolve these matters,” Muhammad Asif, 35, a resident of Islamabad told Reuters in front of a closed market. Separately, in a notification seen by Dawn.com , the office of the district magistrate in Islamabad ordered the closure of all public and private educational institutions in the capital territory tomorrow. The PTI, in a post on X , claimed that the convoy of National Assembly opposition leader Omar Ayub was targeted near Taxila and shells were fired at it. PTI MNA Sher Afzal Marwat shared a video of his brother Khalid Latif Khan saying his convoy was stopped at Daud Khel and was fired at with “strict teargas shelling”. However, he asserted, “We will reach D Chowk in any circumstance.” In another video , Khalid said that police had been shelling the convoy for over an hour and a half. “We had to face heavy shelling for an hour-and-a-half to two hours,” he said. “Thankfully now, the path has been cleared and we should leave (for D Chowk) within an hour-and-a-half to two hours.” Earlier today, the PTI claimed a “family that had reached D Chowk last night” had been arrested, sharing a video of a woman speaking from inside a prisoner van while another was taken inside too. The woman asked for the reason for being detained, saying, “Okay, we can say sorry that we should not have come to this area.” In another post, the PTI shared a video without specifying the location, saying: “The fascist regime has started, as expected, tear gas shelling against peaceful Pakistanis.” A Dawn.com correspondent present at D-Chowk reported that protesters have still not entered the capital. The PTI posted an update on social media stating that all convoys from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have entered Punjab through different motorways. Senior PTI member and former KP minister Shaukat Yousafzai told Dawn.com that his convoy had managed to reach Taxila via GT Road, but the police blocked the motorway at Burhan. He said that his convoy will turn around to join Gandapur’s. “Opposition leader Umar Ayub, Ali Asghar and others from Kohistan, Mansehra, Battagram, Torghar, Abbottabad and Haripur are in their convoys but they have to join the Gandapur rally to ... reach D Chowk in [a] peaceful manner,” he said. Yousafzai added that the Punjab Police are ready to clash but maintained that the PTI “have one agenda — to hold our peaceful rally”. He also warned that if anything happened, the Punjab Police would be responsible. Meanwhile, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza posted on X that his convoy had reached Sargodha. “Proceed towards Islamabad. Overcome all hurdles from management,” he wrote. Speaking at D-Chowk, the final destination of PTI’s main convoy, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said, “One option is that we let them come and [...] paralyse Islamabad. The other option is to protect Islamabad. View this post on Instagram “The area where they (the PTI) have called the protest is a protected area of Islamabad, monitored by the IG and DIG,” Naqvi said, referring to the Red Zone. “Any protesters who enter that area will be arrested,” he warned. View this post on Instagram Despite the security apparatus in place, Naqvi maintained that the blockades were “not as bad as last time” and that the government was trying to give as much relief as possible to those inconvenienced. Referring to the arrival of a Belarusian delegation in the capital, Naqvi said PTI supporters were coming on to the route through which the delegation was supposed to pass. He criticised the PTI for organising protests today instead of attending the funerals being held in Kurram, referring to violent clashes there in the past few days. Addressing the PTI demonstrators, he said: “If you wish to protest, that is your right, but you know exactly who is coming and you have been blocking off roads and causing trouble.” Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi said a “comprehensive security plan” had been formed to prevent mischief. Police personnel align before being deployed near a Red Zone area blocked with shipping containers to hinder a rally by members of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s PTI demanding his release, in Islamabad on Nov 24, 2024. — AFP “If a road is closed, a lane has been kept open along it,” the IG said while speaking to the media, stressing that the purpose of the security plan was to secure the people’s lives and property. “There are obstacles, but the movement of people has not been stopped,” he claimed, adding that action would be taken against people carrying weapons or prohibited items. In a post on X earlier today, the Islamabad police said Rawat T Cross was closed for traffic on both sides and only one lane was open at Chungi No.26 for traffic heading both ways. “However, internal roads are partially open for traffic in Islamabad which can be used in case of extreme need,” the police said, urging citizens to avoid unnecessary travel. In a separate post , the police shared pictures of its personnel stationed at various points to “ensure the imposition of Section 144”, which prohibits gatherings. State broadcaster PTV News shared a post on X pointing out how there were “neither any people nor any flags” on Lahore’s Liberty Chowk, compared to previous instances “when the PTI used to hold its musical shows every other night”. Punjab, especially Lahore, came to a grinding halt on Saturday after the entire intercity bus operation — particularly routes leading to Islamabad and Rawalpindi — were suspended. The security at the Lahore railway station was also beefed up after a huge number of passengers thronged it in a bid to reach their destinations. Internet tracking monitor Netblocks said WhatsApp backends have been restricted in Pakistan, according to a post on X at 1:07am. “Live metrics show WhatsApp backends have been restricted in Pakistan corroborating reports of media sharing issues; the measure comes as authorities tighten security ahead of protests planned by opposition party PTI calling for the release of former PM Imran Khan,” Netblocks said. View this post on Instagram Addressing the media later today, interior minister Naqvi said: “Mobile services are working. The internet has been shut down.” A day ago, the interior ministry said that WiFi and mobile internet services would be suspended only in areas with “security concerns” and remain operational as normal in the rest of the country. In a televised statement, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar termed the PTI responsible for Islamabad’s closure and for “causing damage to businesspeople and the economy”. He asserted that while some routes in the city were closed, others were still open. “The main highway is closed, but despite that people are out and about,” Tarar said. The minister added, “When a party tries to spread division, they do so through violence and property damage. We saw it during the 2014 sit-in, PTV was set on fire and the gates of Parliament were broken down.” Separately, while speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said “PTI’s act will be exposed today”. “I am sure their act will be exposed today [...] why are they spreading anarchy? “Barrister Gohar said [the protest was to] release Imran Khan but he hasn’t been arrested by a deputy commissioner, [through] detention orders or any administrative orders [...] the cases are in the courts and he will have to get himself cleared in those cases.” “If he thinks he is innocent that doesn’t mean you start causing destruction, it means you face your cases in court and tell your lawyers to get the cases disposed quickly,” he said, referring to Imran’s legal challenges. Rallies from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where the PTI is in power, left for Islamabad early in the morning, according to the Dawn.com correspondent. MPAs and MNAs of their respective constituencies were leading their convoys and would join the rallies at Burhan near Hazara interchange, the correspondent said, citing PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai. View this post on Instagram However, a heavy police contingent was present on GT Road and motorway at Attock’s Hassanabdal to stop the procession from reaching Islamabad. Several convoys are en route to the capital, PTI shared in multiple posts on X. According to a post on X , a main convoy led by KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur departed from CM House in Peshawar. CM Gandapur, expected to lead the largest convoy into Islamabad, earlier called on people to gather near the entrance of the city’s red zone, known as “D Chowk”. And aerial view of the PTI convoy led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on November 24. — Photo by Umar Bacha Another video posted by the PTI showed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur’s convoy approaching Colonel Sher Khan Interchange outside of Mardan. The video showed a top-down view of the convoy which stretched over some distance. Islamabad’s red zone houses the country’s parliament building, important government installations, as well as embassies and foreign institutions’ offices. “[Imran] Khan has called on us to remain there till all our demands are met,” he said in a video message yesterday. A post on PTI MNA Asad Qaiser’s X account said his convoy will reach Swabi’s Ambar Interchange, where it will join CM Gandapur. Supporters led by Omar Ayub also set off on their journey from Haripur, the PTI said. Rehana Dar , mother of former PTI leader Usman Dar and who contested the Feb 8 general elections against PML-N’s Khawaja Asif, also set off with her convoy from Sialkot. Other convoys include those of PTI’s Peshawar president Irfan Saleem , KP health minister Pakhtunyar Khan’s convoy from Bannu, KP minister Dr Amjad Ali and law minister Advocate Aftab Alam . In a post on X , former KP minister Taimur Khan Jhagra said: “To assume that unjust laws should just be followed, that try to protect state capture and make the judiciary subservient, is wrong.” However, he appealed to all protesters: “Stay peaceful. At all costs. Do not let anyone sabotage your protest.” Another post showed a convoy led by PTI South Punjab president Senator Aoun Abbas and MNA Zartaj Gul had departed for Islamabad. A video shared by the party showed Gul standing atop a vehicle, waving a white flag and chanting “Imran Khan Zindabad. Release, release Imran Khan”. A convoy led by the president of PTI’s Balochistan chapter was also on its way to Islamabad. View this post on Instagram A convoy led by PTI leaders Usama Mela and Ansar Iqbal Haral also departed from Sargodha’s Kot Momin. A post by the PTI on X called for protesters to carry signs and placards in English “in order to amplify our message globally.” “Let our voices echo loud and clear as we stand united for justice, democracy, and a constitutional Pakistan!” PTI leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar, the Punjab Assembly opposition leader, had earlier said protesters would not leave Islamabad until their demands were accepted. Since Imran’s arrest in August 2023 on several counts, his party has been holding protests across the country for his release and against the alleged rigging of the Feb 8 elections. The last protest in Islamabad by the PTI in early October turned violent with one policeman killed, dozens of security personnel injured and protesters arrested. Both sides accused the other of instigating the clashes. Also on Saturday, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) issued an alert for possible terrorist attacks during the PTI’s march towards Islamabad, reliable sources told Dawn . According to sources, the alert was issued after “technical and human” intelligence gathered by the apex counter-terrorism body revealed that terrorists were planning “major activities” in big cities of Pakistan. Multiple sources confirmed “necessary preparations” by the terrorists in Afghanistan, who “entered into Pakistan” on the night between Nov 19 and 20. They were expected to station themselves in big cities, the sources added. The terrorists, whom the government and the military refer to as Fitna-al-Khawarij , will possibly target the PTI’s protest “for their vested interest”, as per the sources. Nacta has suggested authorities ensure extreme vigilance and heighten security measures to prevent the attack. The government has vowed to suppress the power show with full force, deploying massive security forces, enforcing a sweeping ban on gatherings, blocking highways and motorways and launching a crackdown on leaders and workers of the opposition party. Paramilitary soldiers stand guard at the Red Zone area blocked with shipping containers ahead of a protest rally by PTI in Islamabad on November 24. — AFP The capital police have prepared a list of over 1,500 PTI leaders and workers in Islamabad and constituted 27 teams to arrest them so they could not participate in the protest. The police also arrested 350 other workers of the party, including leader Nafisa Khattak as well as a nephew and brother-in-law of the party’s Islamabad chapter president Amir Mughal. An overnight crackdown was also launched in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, where some elected councillors were among those held. Besides Muzaffarabad police arresting 26 people , the houses of various leaders were also raided, including of AJK Assembly’s opposition leader Khawaja Farooq Ahmed. The government has also put all public sector hospitals in Islamabad on high alert in order to meet any emergency situation. Among methods to curtail the protest is the closure of various motorways and key arteries of Punjab, severing paths to Islamabad at multiple points. The National Highways and Motorway Police (NHMP) announced that six key motorways would be closed for all types of traffic “due to maintenance” from Friday night, advising travellers to avoid unnecessary travel during this period. The motorways closed to traffic are: M1 from Peshawar to Islamabad, M2 from Lahore to Islamabad, M3 from Lahore to Abdul Hakeem, M4 from Pindi Bhattian to Multan, M11 from Sialkot to Lahore, and M14 from Yarik to Hakla. Meanwhile, local authorities blocked bridges over the Chenab and Jhelum rivers in Gujrat district to restrict PTI protesters’ movement towards Islamabad. The closure caused significant inconvenience to commuters who found themselves stuck in long queues of trucks and other vehicles on both sides of the rivers. Heavy containers and trolleys were parked on both sides of the bridges. More to follow Additional input from ReutersHealth Tech Alley Celebrates National Apprenticeship Week in Howard County, Maryland with Data Science ApprenticeshipSean “Diddy” Combs’ twin daughters, Jessie and D’Lila Combs, celebrated senior night at their high school amid their father’s sex trafficking charges. The 17-year-olds took to Instagram Sunday to share a photo of themselves dolled up in blue-and-white cheerleading uniforms at a football game. The teens posed on the sidelines while rocking identical black-and-pink “senior” sashes, tiaras and pink pom-poms. “Senior Night💖,” Jessie and D’Lila captioned the post on their joint Instagram account. The twins attended the football game after making an appearance in a Manhattan courtroom for their dad Sean’s third bail hearing on Friday. The disgraced rapper, 55, was seen blowing kisses to Jessie, D’Lila and other family members after a judge declared a decision would be made in a week. Jessie and D’Lila have been keeping busy with their senior activities despite Sean remaining behind bars at a Brooklyn detention center. Last month, they attended their senior homecoming , donning matching orange off-the-shoulder dresses and bronze heels. The “I’ll Be Missing You” rapper shares his twin daughters with his late ex Kim Porter, whom he dated from 1994 to 2007. Jessie and D’Lila paid tribute to Porter , who died of pneumonia in 2018, on the sixth anniversary of her death earlier this month. “We think about you every single second of the day,” they wrote on Instagram. “We love and miss you so much words can’t even explain.” Sean is also the father to Quincy Brown, 33, Justin Combs, 30, Christian “King” Combs, 26, Chance Combs, 18, and Love Combs, 2. The embattled musician’s children have remained in his corner since his arrest on sex trafficking and racketeering charges in September. Sean’s eldest six children were present in a New York City courtroom on Oct. 10 when a judge set his trial date for May 5, 2025 . Later that month, his brood slammed the “absurdity” of allegations against their father, saying the accusations have left them “devastated.” “Many have judged both him and us based on accusations, conspiracy theories, and false narratives that have spiraled into absurdity on social media,” they wrote on Instagram. “We stand united, supporting you every step of the way. “We hold onto the truth, knowing it will prevail, and nothing will break the strength of our family.” Most recently, Sean’s kids shared a video of themselves calling the music mogul for his birthday on Nov. 4. “I can’t wait to see y’all. I just want to say that I’m proud of y’all, especially the girls. I mean, all y’all, just for being strong,” Sean told his kids, who sat together talking to him on the phone. The Bad Boy Records founder has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and has maintained his innocence amid numerous allegations of sexual assault .
The overgrown patch featuring a collection of litter and weeds on Macbean Street in Woolwich has sat empty for over 20 years. The site has previously hosted the Woolwich Polytechnic School. Rebecca Thompson, 39, has lived in Woolwich for about three years and said the land has appeared the way it has for as long as she can remember and she would like to see a public park added. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "It's not great that it looks the way that it does. It's a bit of a mess." She added: "There's not a lot [of green space] around here. There's a little bit by the river but it would be nice to have more, especially given there's so many more buildings with apartments going up and more people living here." Plans from developer L&Q to build five blocks of flats up to 22 storeys tall, including 595 homes, on the Macbean Street site were refused by Greenwich Council in 2021 given the size of the proposal and lack of social housing. However, Re:shape Living announced this year that it had purchased the land and a neighbouring site. A planning application was put forward by the developer last month to deliver 918 student rooms and 409 co-living units across six blocks up to 23 storeys tall, alongside various public realm improvements. The project, called Electric Works, would also include 93 flats. This would comprise 62 socially rented units alongside 24 flats and three townhouses available for a discounted market rate. Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said they had lived in Woolwich for a year and a half. They said they were glad to see the affordable housing provision included but felt that more... Joe Coughlan
The Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) has announced fees for various departments, courses in affiliated colleges, and new courses of the School of Open and Distance Learning. The SPPU has issued a circular fixing the fees for various unaided courses that will be applicable from the academic year 2024-25. The committee set up under the chairmanship of professor Pandit Vidyasagar, former vice-chancellor (VC) of Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada Vidyapeeth, has made recommendations regarding fees for various courses. Accordingly, fees for newly started courses in various departments of the university and affiliated colleges and educational institutions have been fixed. The fees for courses under the streams such as science and technology, commerce and administration, and humanities have been announced. As per the information shared by the SPPU, the tuition fee for the unaided M.Sc. Computer Science course related to the science and technology stream of the university will be ₹ 40,000 and the laboratory fee for the course will be ₹ 35,000. While the tuition fee for the Master of Computer Application/MCA (Unaided) course is ₹ 50,000 and the laboratory fee is ₹ 35,000. The fee for the BBA course at the sub-centre in Nashik is ₹ 30,250 and the laboratory fee is ₹ 5,000. The fee for the Foundation Course in Yoga Education, Foundation Course Instructor and Management, Foundation Course in Fitness and Sports Nutrition, and Foundation Course in India Application in Sports will be ₹ 20,000 each. The fee for the unaided B.Sc. Computer Application course in colleges affiliated to the university will be ₹ 16,900 whereas the laboratory fee will be ₹ 12,500. The fees for the Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management course will be ₹ 18,600. The fees for the Bachelor of Commerce in Computer Application course will be ₹ 16,900 and the laboratory fee will be ₹ 12,500. Whereas the fee for the Bachelor of Commerce in International Business course will be ₹ 18,600. “A new course of Post-Graduate Diploma in Higher Education (PGDHE) is being started through the Open and Distance Learning Department of the university and a fee of ₹ 10,350 will be charged for it,” said SPPU pro-vice chancellor professor Parag Kalkar. Sangeeta Bangar, education officer, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, said that the government resolution (GR) issued by the state government must be followed by the school. “The school can start classes in two shifts, but the primary student class cannot be started early morning. They will also need permission from the state director’s office to start classes in two shifts,” she said.Towson 64, Morgan St. 60
MSTY: Profit From Bullish Bitcoin TrendAP News Summary at 8:26 a.m. ESTMacbean Street Woolwich site set to be redeveloped