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Rawalpindi, Islamabad locked down ahead of Iran–US talks

More than 10,000 police personnel and 600 checkpoints were deployed as businesses, hostels and drone flights faced restrictions.

  • On Sunday, April 19, 2026, authorities enforced extraordinary security measures in Rawalpindi and Islamabad, deploying over 10,000 police personnel and establishing over 600 checkpoints ahead of US-Iran peace talks.
  • Security officials initiated the lockdown Saturday to protect high-level delegations arriving at Nur Khan Airbase, aiming to facilitate a fresh round of diplomatic discussions intended to stabilize the region.
  • Rawalpindi City Police Officer Syed Khalid Mehmood Hamdani ordered closure of all student hostels and businesses along sensitive routes, while authorities deployed 400 elite commandos and 100 snipers.
  • Elite commandos and snipers maintain a multi-layered defensive perimeter throughout the capital region, with strict movement restrictions defining operations at Nur Khan Airbase and surrounding zones.
  • Diplomats increasingly view Islamabad as a viable bridge between Washington and Tehran, potentially offering a pathway to de-escalate the 39-day Gulf conflict, though no official dates are confirmed.
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Pakistan Goes All Out on Security Ahead of Second U.S.-Iran Summit, Resembling COVID-19 Lockdown Pakistan is taking security measures virtually bordering on the lockdown seen during the COVID-19 pandemic to prepare for the second U.S.-Iran summit, which is expected to be held in the country soon. According to the Pakistani English-language daily Express Tribune on the 19th

The second round of American-Iranian peace talks is to be held in Pakistan: it is about Iran's nuclear program and the Strait of Hormus – but Pakistan's leadership also has tangible interests.

·Munich, Germany
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The Statesman broke the news on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
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