Islamabad | Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday expressed strong displeasure over the cutting of trees in the federal capital despite previous orders, warning the authorities of contempt proceedings in case of further violations. IHC’s Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro, while hearing multiple petitions against tree cutting in various sectors, observed that the court’s injunction orders issued on January 15 and April 8 had been ignored. Appearing on behalf of the petitioners, advocates Mudassar Latif Abbasi and Umair Asad argued that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) were continuing to cut trees without lawful justification. During the proceedings, Advocate Abbasi informed the court that more than 30,000 trees had been cut across Islamabad under the pretext of removing paper mulberry trees, without obtaining mandatory approval from the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA). He further pointed out that the CDA, in its para-wise comments, had failed to clarify whether any expert assessment w...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and the United Kingdom yesterday held a high-level exchange on the evolving regional situation and the outcomes of the Islamabad talks, as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and China yesterday held extensive consultations on the recently concluded Islamabad talks, as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar engaged in high-level diplomatic exchanges with his Chinese counterpart and the envoy in Islamabad, reaffirming their shared commitment to regional peace and stability.

Following talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad over the weekend, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that “full efforts” were ongoing to resolve the conflict. “Today, the ceasefire still stands. As I am talking to you, matters that are not resolved, full efforts are underway to resolve them,” he said in a televised address to the federal cabinet. In his first remarks on the matter after the negotiations concluded, the premier hailed talks between the two countries in Islamabad as a “historic moment”. He said the Islamabad Talks gave Pakistan a chance to “turn looming clouds of war into lasting peace”. PM Shehbaz added that “if you look through history — take the Oslo Agreement, the Geneva Accord, the Good Friday Agreement … it took months and sometimes years to end hostilities and establish peace”. Coming to the Islamabad Talks, he said that the Iranian and American delegations had negotiated “continuously for 21 hours”. The dialogue, he said, was not held indirectly. “It was the fir...

ISLAMABAD: A police search operation targeting Afghan residents in Islamabad turned violent when officers were attacked, resulting in injuries to four officers and the arrest of 23 people who now face terrorism charges, authorities said. The clash erupted in the Sarai Kharboza area when residents resisted the operation, according to an FIR filed at the Golra Police Station. The report, lodged by Assistant Sub-Inspector Saqib Mehmood, alleges that a group led by a suspect identified as Mubeen abducted a police official, held him inside a house, and then set the building on fire. Attackers also snatched a submachine gun from an officer and opened fire with the “intent to kill,” the formal complaint stated. The 23 individuals arrested in connection with the incident are being investigated under multiple statutes, including Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. A team from the Counter Terrorism Department has launched a wider operation to find and apprehend additional suspects who fled the scene, police said. In a...

• Support aimed at easing pressure on foreign exchange reserves • Islamabad preparing to repay $3.5bn UAE debt this month • Finance Minister Aurangzeb departs for IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings • Visit seen as critical amid regional tensions, economic pressures • Officials hope for ‘peace dividends’ in engagements with global lenders ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to receive $5 billion in financial support from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, offering a critical buffer for its fragile external position, as Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb departed for Washington on Saturday to attend the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings and advance the country’s economic diplomacy. The expected inflows come at a crucial juncture, with Islamabad preparing to repay $3.5bn to the United Arab Emirates this month and facing pressure on its foreign exchange reserves, even as it seeks to leverage its role in facilitating US-Iran dialogue to secure economic support from global lenders. Officials in Islamabad say the visit comes at a critical ju...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan’s federal capital emerged as a quiet diplomatic winner amid global focus as the United States and Iran trusted Islamabad for the dialogue.

ISLAMABAD - Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar announced on Saturday that comprehensive facilities were being ensured at the1 Jinnah Convention Center for seamless coverage of the historic Islamabad peace talks.

Authorities have announced a comprehensive traffic diversion plan in Islamabad ahead of the arrival of foreign delegations for high-level talks between the United States and Iran.

The delegation from Iran touched down in Islamabad late on Friday night ahead of talks with the United States, with US Vice President JD Vance and his delegation en route to Pakistan as well. The talks are taking place during a two-week halt in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which began with the former launching attacks on the latter on February 28. An appeal by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif earlier this week led to a pause in the fighting, with negotiations scheduled for Saturday. According to the Foreign Office (FO), the Iranian delegation, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and comprising Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the defence council secretary, governor of Iran’s central bank and lawmakers, was received by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. “DPM/FM expressed the hope that parties would engage constructively, and reit...

US Vice President JD Vance has departed for Islamabad to lead the American delegation in the upcoming Iran–US negotiations being hosted under the mediation of Pakistan.

The federal capital is on ‘red alert’ ahead of crucial peace talks between the US and Iran, with more than 10,000 police and security personnel deployed to ensure the safety of visiting delegates. Sources say the multi-tiered security arrangement is being supervised by the military, assisted by paramilitary forces such as the Rangers, along with Islamabad Police and Punjab Police. The Islamabad Traffic Police and the National Highways and Motorways Police are deployed on roads to ensure smooth traffic flow. Below are some glimpses of the heavy security arrangements in Islamabad during the US-Iran talks. Pakistani army soldiers arrive for deployment at the Red Zone area of Islamabad on April 10, 2026. —AFP A US Air Force transport aircraft with “Charleston” written on its tail approaches PAF Base Nur Khan as Pakistan prepares to host the US and Iran for peace talks, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, April 10, 2026. —AFP An army soldier disperses locals who arrive to visit Faisal Masjid, for security reasons, as Pakista...

All eyes are on Islamabad this weekend as the city braces to mediate one of the most consequential, high-stakes peace negotiations since the culmination of the Second World War. Starting today, American emissaries, led by Vice President JD Vance, will sit across the table from Iranian diplomats to negotiate a lasting settlement to a war that has rattled global power structures and stock markets alike. On the face of it, it is a welcome development from where the world found itself on Tuesday. As daylight drew to a close, the world watched in anticipation as Washington backed itself into an impossible corner, promising to annihilate “a whole civilisation” if Tehran did not give a safe passageway to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. But a last-ditch diplomatic breakthrough by Pakistan managed to pull both sides from the brink of a potentially catastrophic escalation of unknowable consequences. For now, Islamabad seems to have bought both sides some time to turn a fragile truce into something akin to a durab...

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has emerged at the center of international diplomacy following its role in facilitating a ceasefire between Iran and the United States, with world leaders reaching out to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to acknowledge Islamabad’s peace efforts aimed at ending regional hostilities, including the US-Israel.

Security has been beefed up in the Red Zone in the federal capital and local holidays have been declared in the twin cities as Pakistan is gearing up to host talks between the United States and Iran. Due to the sensitivity and importance of the talks, comprehensive security measures have been put in place, involving all law enforcement agencies and security forces. VVIP protocol under the Blue Book will be extended to the delegations during their movement, stay and meetings. Police, paramilitary troops and other security forces will perform duties under strict guidelines outlined in the Blue Book and other applicable standard operating procedures. Separate routes are also being prepared for the movement of the delegations. Journalists gather in front of shipping containers after authorities blocked roads in the Red Zone area in Islamabad on April 9, 2026. — AFP A bus is seen on a deserted street after authorities blocked roads in the Red Zone area in Islamabad on April 9, 2026. — AFP Security personnel inspec...

Matriculation examinations set for tomorrow in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been deferred, with revised dates to be announced in due course.

Just minutes before a self-imposed deadline — an unprecedented threat to wipe out “a whole civilisation” — was set to expire, US President Donald Trump announced early Wednesday a two-week ceasefire halting the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has engulfed the Middle East. The development, anxiously awaited by much of the world, followed a long night of back-channel diplomacy spearheaded by Pakistan. Now, with a fragile ceasefire barely holding and tensions still flaring, Islamabad is set to host talks between the warring parties this Saturday. In an earlier post on Truth Social, Trump said the US had received a 10-point proposal from Iran, which he described as “a workable basis on which to negotiate”. On the other hand, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned a 15-point US proposal that negotiators said could end the conflict. But neither of the proposals have been formally unveiled as yet. Versions of both have been leaked and published online, and they seem to be poles apart, making the upcoming neg...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday assured US Ambassador to Pakistan Natalie Baker of foolproof security for all foreign dignitaries ahead of the US-Iran talks scheduled in Islamabad this week. Pakistan is set to host in-person talks between the US and Iran on Saturday after a two-week ceasefire was announced between the two countries, bringing a pause to the hostilities which broke out on February 28. In a meeting with the US envoy, Naqvi assured her of the security arrangements taken ahead of the talks and stated that the US Vice President JD Vance, US Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner were “our special guests,” according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior. “A comprehensive plan has been prepared to provide foolproof security to all foreign guests in every respect,” the minister was quoted as saying. The US envoy appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic role during the meeting. Meanwhile, the Islamabad Police, in a traffic advisory posted on X, said diversions will be...

A special traffic management plan has been put in place in Islamabad following the arrival of foreign delegations in the federal capital, with authorities issuing alternate route guidelines and imposing restrictions to ensure smooth movement and security.

• Negotiations follow Pakistan-brokered two-week truce • US vice president, Iranian foreign minister to lead their delegations • PM Shehbaz calls talks ‘historic moment’ for lasting settlement • Iran warns of withdrawal from ceasefire if violations continue • US says truce excludes Lebanon, but Iran disagrees • Iran’s speaker says key clauses already violated before talks ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to host in-person talks between the United States and Iran starting Friday, even as a fragile ceasefire between the two sides showed signs of strain following Israeli strikes in Lebanon and renewed military exchanges across the Gulf. The negotiations follow a two-week ceasefire announced late Tuesday — the 39th day of the war — after Pakistani mediation. The truce, which averted imminent US strikes, was based on a 10-point Iranian proposal accepted by Washington as a general framework for talks. Delegations are expected to arrive in Islamabad on Friday, with formal negotiations scheduled for Saturday. Sources told ...