Islamabad | Pakistan

District administrations of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have announced local holidays in the twin cities on April 9 (Thursday) and 10 (Friday). In a post on the social media platform X, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon said, “Local Holidays Announced in Islamabad – 9th & 10th April.” He also shared the notification by the office of the Islamabad district magistrate. However, he added, essential services will remain operational. According to the official, these included the Capital Development Authority, the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration, Islamabad police, the Islamabad Electric Supply Company, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd and hospitals. “Citizens are advised to plan their activities accordingly. Thank you,” he said. Separately, a notification issued by Rawalpindi DC Hassan Waqar announced a local holiday in the territorial jurisdiction of Rawalpindi on April 9 and 10. “However, all emergency dealing departments/ institutions/ authorities shall remain operational,” the notif...

Pakistan on Wednesday announced that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, had agreed to an immediate ceasefire, including in Lebanon, effective immediately, and invited their delegations to Islamabad on April 10 for talks aimed at reaching a lasting settlement of disputes. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the ceasefire in an early-morning post on X, welcoming the move and extending his “deepest gratitude” to the leadership of both countries. Both sides have displayed “remarkable wisdom and understanding” and remained constructively engaged in furthering the cause of peace and stability, the prime minister said, expressing hope that the ‘Islamabad Talks’ would succeed in achieving sustainable peace and that more positive developments would follow in the coming days. The prime minister, who helped mediate the ceasefire, also invited delegations from both countries to Islamabad on April 10 to “hold further negotiations towards a conclusive agreement to se...

• Araghchi denies rejecting Pakistan as venue for talks • Dar discusses UN resolution with Bahrain FM, calls Egyptian counterpart • Ghalibaf says sustainable security in region Iran’s priority, offers bilateral arrangements ISLAMABAD: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday pushed back at reports that Iran was unwilling to travel to Islamabad for future talks with the US, underscoring that Tehran’s position hinged on the terms and conditions of any negotiations. “Iran’s position is being misrepresented by the US media. We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad,” Mr Araghchi said in a post on X. “What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us,” he further said. His remarks came a day after a report by The Wall Street Journal said Iran had declined to participate in talks in Islamabad, citing objections to US demands and suggesting Pakistan’s efforts had stalled. Responding to Mr Araghchi, P...

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday said that Tehran’s leadership “never refused to go to Islamabad” for possible peace talks that Pakistan has offered to host to bring the ongoing US-Israeli war on the Islamic republic to an end. “Iran’s position is being misrepresented by US media,” Araghchi wrote on X. “We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us,” he emphasised. He also shared a video showing Iranians waving Pakistan’s flags in an apparent show of appreciation for Pakistan and its people. The Iranian official ended his post with “Pakistan Zindabad” written in Urdu. Araghchi’s statement comes a day after the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing unnamed mediators, reported that the “current round of efforts by regional countries led by Pakistan to reach a ceasefire” between the United States and Iran had reached a “dead end”. Deputy Prime Min...

A powerful earthquake shook Islamabad and several cities across Pakistan, including Rawalpindi and Peshawar, sending residents rushing out of their homes in panic.

6.1-magnitude quake rattles K-P, Islamabad

An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale jolted parts of the country on Friday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). The PMD said that the quake struck at 9:13pm at a depth of 190km, with the Hindu Kush Region in Afghanistan as its epicentre. It said the shocks were felt in Islamabad, Chitral, Peshawar, Swat and Shangla. According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences, which uses the Moment Magnitude scale, an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 struck Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of 177 km. According to DawnNewsTV, tremors were also felt in Rawalpindi, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and parts of Punjab. Meanwhile, the Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) also said that tremors were also felt in Lahore, Mianwali, Jhang, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Pothohar region, Sargodha and other districts in the province. In a statement, it said that no loss of life or property was reported. The PDMA in KP also said that tremors were felt in multiple dist...

In a move aimed at easing the burden of rising inflation, the federal government has decided to offer free public transport services across Islamabad for a period of one month.

State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry said on Tuesday that all the suspects involved in the killing of a prominent businessman in Islamabad during a dacoity had been arrested. Police said on Monday that a businessman identified as Amir Awan was murdered during an alleged dacoity at his farmhouse located in Orchard Scheme. Political figures, VIPs and big-shots, including an adviser to the prime minister, own property in the neighbourhood where the incident took place. In a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, Chaudhry addressed the incident and said, “The suspects belong to the Mansoor Khan gang … They are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The dangerous nature of the gang had prevented the local police from arresting them. Afghanis, as well as other people, are included in the gang.” He said the safe city cameras and the professional attitude of the Islamabad police contributed to arresting the suspects. He said that the Islamabad inspector general, on the directions of the interior minister, personally moni...

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to facilitating dialogue between the United States and Iran, even as regional tensions intensify. In an interview broadcast on Tuesday, Ambassador Sheikh told Fox News that Pakistan is “committed to providing every possible facilitation for fruitful dialogue”, while stressing that ultimate decisions rest with the conflicting parties. “While Pakistan continues to be the facilitator, it is actually upon the conflicting parties themselves to not only create the prerequisites for negotiations and to be able to conduct them in all earnest, but they will have to take the decisions which make it successful,” Ambassador Sheikh said. He described the situation as “a highly complex issue involving political, economic, and regional factors” and expressed gratitude that both sides have shown confidence in Pakistan’s ability to help mediate. “We are also mindful of the fact that it is not an easy process. It’s a very complicated matt...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is set to visit Beijing today, following reported progress in regional diplomacy after a four-nation meeting held in Islamabad.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, along with several civil society organisations, on Sunday called on authorities to immediately halt all planned and ongoing eviction operations in Islamabad’s low-income areas and katchi abadis (informal settlements). The call was made in a statement issued by the HRCP following a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad. “The All Party Alliance for Katchi Abadis, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, National Commission for Justice and Peace, Awami Workers Party, Aurat March Islamabad and allied civil society organisations strongly condemn the imminent threat of demolition and forced eviction facing residents of Allama Iqbal Colony, a 25-year-old, predominantly Christian working-class settlement reportedly slated for clearance in the coming week,” the statement read. It added: “We unequivocally reject the ongoing pattern of evictions carried out by the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Islamabad, without due process, adequate notice or lawful rehabil...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to host the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt from March 29-30 for “in-depth discussions” on a variety of issues, including efforts to reduce the ongoing tensions in the region amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. In a press release issued on Saturday, the Foreign Office said that at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Saudi Arabia’s FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Turkiye’s FM Hakan Fidan, and Egypt’s FM Dr Badr Abdelatty will visit Islamabad from March 29 to March 30. “During the visit, the foreign ministers will hold in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region,” the FO said, adding that the visiting dignitaries will also call on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. “Pakistan highly values its relations with the brotherly countries of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt,” the FO statement underscored. “The visit will provide an opportunity to further strengthen Pakistan’s cooperat...

ISLAMABAD: The district administration on Saturday denied that it had sealed Edhi’s office in Aabpara “at any point” after the rescue service said its control room had been sealed. At the same time, in a statement, the Islamabad administration said the control room had been built on land owned by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The administration asserted that while eviction notices had been served, no action had been taken yet to enforce them. The responses came after a statement was issued by Edhi’s Zonal office in Islamabad, which stated that its “Edhi Centre (ambulance control room) established in Aabpara for the past 40 years has been shut down by the administration”. As a result, Edhi said it was unable to continue its emergency services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, which would “remain suspended till the administration provides us with an alternative place”. In its statement, the Edhi service insisted that the district commissioner’s office did not give any reason for the closure, nor did it re...

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Chinese Ambassador Jiang Zedong at the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad on Friday, where the two discussed matters pertaining to counter-terrorism, security cooperation and the Police Exchange Programme. The interior ministry posted on social media that Naqvi arrived at the embassy in Islamabad’s Diplomatic Enclave earlier today, where he was welcomed by the ambassador. It also shared a video of him being received by Jiang at the entrance. “Discussion on the overall situation of the region also took place in the meeting,” the ministry said. The interior ministry said it was decided to hold a business conference to address security issues faced by Chinese investors in Pakistan, according to the ministry. It elaborated that in the first phase, meetings will be held with the Chinese business community present in Pakistan; the second phase will involve meetings with those who are interested in investing in Pakistan. The interior minister also said that a Special Protection Unit...

ISLAMABAD - Diplomatic activity in Pakistan’s capital has intensified as preparations gather pace for potential United States–Iran talks aimed at de-escalating the ongoing Gulf conflict, with Islamabad emerging as a leading candidate to host negotiations even as uncertainty over venue selection and Tehran’s.

Ayaz Shaukat has stepped down from his role as Advocate General of Islamabad, formally submitting his resignation to Asif Ali Zardari.

• Insiders say Washington asked Pakistan to host negotiations; groundwork laid in weeks of ‘hectic diplomacy’ • Witkoff expected to lead engagement; no indication yet of who Iran may send • Trump claims engagement on ‘15 points’ • Tehran implies existence of backchannel; spox says messages from US ‘received and responded to’ • Qatar, Turkiye support swift efforts to end war • German president calls US-Israeli war on Iran ‘violation of international law’ ISLAMABAD: A day after a proposal was floated to hold Iran-US talks in the nation’s capital, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally pitched Islamabad as a potential venue for negotiations between Iranian and US officials. “Subject to concurrence by the US and Iran, Pakistan stands ready and honoured to be the host to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks for a comprehensive settlement of the ongoing conflict,” he wrote on X, tagging US President Donald Trump, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff. The move followed rep...

ISLAMABAD: A social media influencer was allegedly murdered by her husband in Islamabad, it emerged on Sunday. The TikToker was killed within the limits of Humak Police Station near a shopping mall. The initial investigation showed that the suspect shot the victims before shooting himself in the head. According to police sources, the victim was identified as Sana Javed, who had a TikTok account called OutLofara, a permanent resident of Attock. Police said that the suspect, Muhammad Sadiq, was also a resident of Attock and previously served as a constable in Attock Police, but was dismissed from service. The suspect initially shot his wife and then committed suicide by shooting himself in the head, sources said. As many as three shells of fired bullets and a 9mm pistol have been recovered from the site of the incident, they said. According to the first information report (FIR), available with Dawn, a private security guard informed police that he was performing his duties in a market located in DHA Phase II. H...

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Thursday appointed lawyer and incumbent Islamabad Advocate General Ayaz Shaukat as the first chairman of the newly established Social Media Protection and Regulatory Authority (SMPRA). Sources privy to the development revealed that Shaukat is expected to tender his resignation from the office of advocate general soon after Eidul Fitr vacations to assume his new responsibilities. The authority was established under the amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025, and will comprise a total of eight members. The federal government also notified 5 members, namely Sohail Iqbal, Adnan Khan, Muhammad Salman Zafar, Fahad Malik, and Muhammad Saad Ali. According to the amendment, the remaining two members are to be a journalist and a software engineer. The chairman and the members will be appointed for a period of five years. SMPRA will function as a corporate body with the power to sue and be sued in its own name. Its principal office will be based in Islamabad, w...