Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon on Sunday dismissed as fake a notice circulating online which claimed that all public and private offices in the federal capital and Rawalpindi would remain closed from April 20 till date.
At the same time, he clarified that all educational institutions in Islamabad will remain open on Monday, saying that no decision has yet been taken on 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 unverified or fake news. Rely only on official handles of District Administration, Islamabad for authentic updates,” he said.
However, a separate overnight notification from the cabinet department said that all ministries, departments and federal government offices in Islamabad’s red zone will work from home on April 20.
It added: “All officers and secretaries shall remain at the station and be prepared to appear whenever required at short notice.”
In another announcement, the Islamabad District Magistrate said that access to the red zone will remain suspended on April 20. It added that public and private offices, as well as schools in the area, “may adopt a work-from-home arrangement on the said date to avoid inconvenience”.
Police said the red zone has been closed to traffic as the capital prepares 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 freight transport from Sunday noon till further directives.
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his envoys would arrive in Islamabad on Monday evening, 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 also include Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump had separately told ABC News and MS now that Vance wouldn’t go.
Pakistan, which has been acting as the main mediator, appeared to be gearing up for the talks. Two giant US C-17 cargo planes landed at an air base on Sunday afternoon with security equipment and vehicles in preparation for the arrival of the US delegation, two Pakistani security sources said.
Authorities in the capital Islamabad halted public transport and heavy goods traffic. Barbed wire was rolled out near the Serena Hotel, where last week’s talks were held. The hotel asked all guests to leave.
