Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon on Sunday dismissed 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 notice.
At the same time, he clarified that all educational institutions in Islamabad will remain open on Monday and said that no decision has been taken yet regarding their closure.
In a post 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 fake or unverified news. Please only rely on official addresses of Islamabad district administration for authentic updates,” he said.
However, a separate late-night 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 will remain at the station and will be prepared to attend the office when required at short notice.”
In another notification, the Islamabad district magistrate said that entry into the Red Zone will remain suspended on April 20. He added that public and private offices, as well as schools in the area, “may adopt a work-from-home agreement on said date to avoid any inconvenience.”
Police said the Red Zone has been closed to traffic as the capital prepares for possible foreign delegations, with alternative traffic routes established.
Public and heavy transport in Islamabad has also been suspended until further instructions are issued. Meanwhile, the Rawalpindi district administration suspended all public and goods transport from Sunday noon until further directive.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his envoys would arrive in Islamabad on Monday night, a day before a two-week ceasefire ends.
A White House official had said the US delegation would be led by Vice President JD Vance, who led the first peace talks of the war a week ago, and would also include Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump had separately said ABC News and EM now that Vance wouldn’t go.
Pakistan, which has acted as the main mediator, appeared to be preparing for talks. Two massive American C-17 cargo planes landed at an air base on Sunday afternoon, transporting equipment and security vehicles in preparation for the arrival of the American delegation, two Pakistani security sources said.
Authorities in the capital, Islamabad, paralyzed public transport and heavy goods traffic. Barbed wire was placed near the Serena Hotel, where last week’s talks were held. The hotel told all guests to leave.
