Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon on Sunday termed as false a notification circulating online claiming that all public and private offices in the federal capital and Rawalpindi would remain closed from April 20 until further orders.
At the same time, he clarified that all educational institutions in Islamabad would remain open on Monday, saying no decision had been taken yet regarding their closure.
In an article on X, he urged citizens not to share unverified or misleading information and to rely only on official government sources for updates.
“Citizens are requested to refrain from sharing unverified or false information. Please rely only on the official contact details of Islamabad district administration for authentic updates,” he said.
However, a separate late evening notification from the Cabinet Division said that all ministries, divisions and offices of the federal government located in Islamabad’s red zone will work from home on April 20.
He added: “All officers and secretarial staff must remain at the station and be ready to report to the office when required at short notice. »
In another notification, the Islamabad district magistrate said entry into the red zone would remain suspended on April 20. He added that public and private offices, as well as schools in the region, “may adopt a work from home system on the said date in order to avoid any inconvenience.”
Police said the red zone had been closed to traffic as the capital prepared for possible foreign delegations, with alternative traffic routes in place.
Public and heavy transport in Islamabad has also been suspended until further instructions are issued. Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi district administration has suspended all public and goods transport from Sunday noon until further directives.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his envoys would arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening, a day before the end of a two-week ceasefire.
A White House official said the U.S. delegation would be led by Vice President JD Vance, who led the war’s first peace talks a week ago, and would also include Trump envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump had separately declared ABC News And MS now that Vance wouldn’t go.
Pakistan, which served as lead mediator, appears to be preparing for the talks. Two giant American C-17 cargo planes landed at an airbase on Sunday afternoon, carrying security equipment and vehicles in anticipation of the arrival of the American delegation, two Pakistani security sources said.
Authorities in the capital Islamabad have halted public transport and heavy goods vehicle traffic. Barbed wire was deployed near the Serena Hotel, where last week’s talks were held. The hotel told all guests to leave.
