Pakistan has ramped up security in Islamabad ahead of high-stakes direct talks between the United States and Iran, with the federal capital administration declaring a two-day public holiday on Thursday and Friday.
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The negotiations, scheduled to begin on April 10 in the Pakistani capital, follow a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran that was brokered by Pakistan.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited both sides to Islamabad for face-to-face discussions aimed at reaching a permanent agreement.
Both the United States and Iran have confirmed that their delegations will participate in the talks hosted by Pakistan.
For the upcoming talks, US President Donald Trump has appointed US Vice President JD Vance, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner as members of the American delegation.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister has confirmed that the Iranian delegation, headed by Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, will travel to Islamabad for the negotiations.
Islamabad prepares to host negotiations
In view of these high-level talks, extraordinary security arrangements have been put in place across the city’s Red Zone (governmental zone), key government buildings, the diplomatic enclave and all entry and exit points.
Law enforcement presence, including police and Rangers, has been heightened citywide, while the Army’s quick-response force is kept ready.
A senior official from the Pakistani Interior Ministry told The Media Line that security control of the Red Zone will be handed over to the army, while Rangers and police personnel will also be deployed there.
The participants in the negotiations are being accommodated at a five-star hotel located within the Red Zone.
According to security sources, a US Air Force C-130 aircraft carrying an advance security and tactical team landed at Nur Khan Air Base on Thursday afternoon.
Officials told The Media Line that members of the US Secret Service and CIA also arrived in Islamabad to secure the venue and review security arrangements for the US delegation.
Pakistani Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, in a meeting with US Ambassador Natalie Baker on Thursday, held detailed discussions on the current situation in the Middle East and the arrangements for the Islamabad talks. Naqvi said that a comprehensive plan has been devised to provide airtight security to all foreign guests.
Ahead of the US-Iran talks, an important meeting took place Thursday afternoon between Sharif and Pakistani Chief of Defense Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir. According to a statement issued by the prime minister’s office, the meeting focused on the ceasefire and related matters as Pakistan prepares to host negotiations between the United States and Iran.
As another round of talks between the United States and Iran is about to begin, it is clear that a lack of trust persists between the two countries. Over the past year, they have held negotiations twice, and on both occasions, conflict erupted before the efforts could yield any results.