Islamabad, Pakistan – In a statement on social media, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad, Arfan Naeem Memon, declared a circulating notice regarding the closure of all government and private offices in the capital and Rawalpindi until further notice as fake. He clarified that educational institutions in Islamabad will remain open today and no decision has been made regarding their closure.
Memon appealed to citizens to refrain from sharing unverified or misleading information on social media and rely on official sources for updates. Meanwhile, the Cabinet Division issued a separate notification late last night stating that all ministries, divisions, and federal government offices in the red zone will operate from home on April 20.
The notification further directed all officers and secretarial staff to remain present at their stations and be prepared to attend office on short notice. Islamabad District Magistrate also issued a notification stating that entry into the red zone will be restricted on April 20, and government and private offices and educational institutions in the area can adopt a work-from-home approach to avoid any inconvenience.
In light of the possible arrival of foreign delegations, the police have closed the red zone to traffic, while alternative routes have been provided. Public and heavy transport in Islamabad have also been suspended until further notice. The Rawalpindi district administration also suspended all public and commercial transport from Sunday afternoon.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that his representatives will arrive in Islamabad on April 20. The White House stated that the U.S. delegation will be led by Vice President Mike Pence, who had previously led the initial round of peace talks. The delegation will also include Trump’s representatives, Steve Biegun and Jared Kushner.
Meanwhile, the Sindh government has decided to ban the sale of wheat at a certain limit. A phone call was made between Pakistani Foreign Minister and Iranian Foreign Minister. Federal Minister for Railways, Muhammad Ali Ghouri has announced that Pakistan will initiate the railway track with Iran soon.
The Punjab government has submitted a report to the Punjab Assembly regarding the transfer of patients in light of the expenses of Air Ambulance Service. After the recent tensions, they lost their sponsors, cancelled advertising plans, and returned the fixed deposits.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has confirmed the names of the candidates including Arfan Saleem, Abdul Haseeb, Asghar Ali, Sajjad Khan Mehmood, and Rahila BB. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) has raided an illegal call center in the Bloucher Colony.
