Islamabad in lockdown as awaited US-Iran talks fail to materialise

Potential US-Iran peace talks have kept Islamabad under lockdown for nearly a week, but with no clear sign of a meeting, large parts of the Pakistani capital remain under tight restrictions.

Key roads leading into the city have been blocked, while the administrative centre — the so-called “Red Zone” — is sealed off under heavy security, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

In the nearby “Blue Zone,” cafes have run out of fruit, markets are depleted, and bus services have been suspended, leaving weekend visitors struggling to return home.

Government officials say the measures will not be lifted anytime soon, as authorities remain prepared for the possible arrival of delegations, including US President Donald Trump.

“We have been told that the ​talks could be held any day,” one official said.

Islamabad was first locked down on April 11 ahead of a round of talks between US and Iranian delegations that ended without results.

The city briefly reopened but was placed under lockdown again as Pakistan awaits a second round of negotiations that has yet to materialise.

For residents, the uncertainty has become the greatest challenge.

Islamabad is a city with a highly mobile population, where many people work during the week and return home on weekends — an arrangement now disrupted.

“When Islamabad opens up, Hormuz closes … When Hormuz opens, Islamabad closes,” a waiter at a local cafe said, referring to the Strait of Hormuz, a key sticking point in the negotiations.

At a luxury hotel in the city, journalists from around the world who arrived to cover the talks remain in limbo.

Camera crews stand ready, equipment is set, and phones are constantly checked.

But after a week of waiting, there is little to report.

“I don't ⁠know how many times I'm going to have to request laundry … We really don’t know where we’re headed,” said Fadi Mansour, an Al Jazeera correspondent at the White House who flew in from Washington expecting a short trip.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov