Pakistan has declared two days of local holidays in the capital at short notice from Thursday, authorities said, ahead of talks between the United States and Iran due to take place in Islamabad.
No reason was given in the notification issued by the Islamabad district administration late Wednesday, but authorities in the capital have often announced holidays or restrictions for security reasons ahead of high-profile diplomatic events.
Pakistan has been preparing for high-stakes talks involving US and Iranian representatives over the war in the Middle East, with the White House saying Vice President JD Vance will be leading a team to the negotiations in Islamabad "this weekend".
The holidays on Thursday and Friday apply only to the Islamabad Capital Territory, the notice posted by Islamabad's district commissioner on Wednesday said.
The notification said offices providing essential services would remain open, including police, hospitals and power and gas utilities.
"Essential services will remain operational," the deputy commissioner's office said in a statement posted on X, advising residents to "plan their activities accordingly". Pakistan hails 'restraint', slams Lebanon strikes As Islamabad prepared to host expected talks between Iran and the United States, Pakistan praised "restraint" in the Middle East war on Thursday, but condemned ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
Both Washington and Tehran have confirmed their participation in peace talks brokered by Pakistan, although the schedule is still to be confirmed.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Thursday with the country's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who jointly "appreciated the restraint demonstrated by all sides", according to the premier's office.
The pair "expressed satisfaction over the de-escalation achieved so far", the statement said.
US President Donald Trump agreed a two-week truce to allow talks between US and Iranian negotiators, but Washington's ally Israel has kept up its attacks on Lebanon.
Iran has said Lebanon was a key part of the ceasefire and argues Israeli attacks breach the truce.
Iran's deputy foreign minister, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said "Iran was on the verge of responding to the ceasefire violation last night".
Such a move was avoided because "Pakistan intervened", Khatibzadeh told ITV News , according to excerpts from Iran's Tasnim news agency.
Pakistan's premier spoke on Thursday to his Lebanese counterpart, Nawaf Salam, and "strongly condemned Israel's ongoing aggression against Lebanon", the prime minister's office said.
Iran's ambassador to Pakistan deleted a social media post saying an Iranian delegation would arrive in Islamabad on Thursday night, a move an embassy official later told AFP news agency had been sent prematurely.
Ambassador Reza Amiri Moghadam said in a post on X on Thursday morning that an Iranian delegation would arrive "tonight in Islamabad for serious talks based on 10 points proposed by Iran". The post was deleted shortly after.
An official at the Iranian embassy in Islamabad told AFP the post was removed "because of some issues", declining to say whether the delegation was still expected on Thursday.
When asked further, the official said: "Timing -- we were not supposed to send it."