- By Ajeet Kumar
- Fri, 10 Apr 2026 03:45 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Pakistan hosts US-Iran talks after two-week ceasefire.
- Islamabad under lockdown with heightened security measures.
- US Vice President JD Vance expected for rare visit.
Pakistan, a country which is often touted as the "terrorism epicentre", is set to host in-person talks between the US and Iran after a two-week ceasefire was announced between the two countries. Security has always been a significant concern whenever a foreign delegate visits the country. In recent years, bomb blasts bea routine affair. In February this year, the country witnessed a horrific suicide blast in a mosque where more than 60 people were killed. Amid the volatile situation, the Pakistani government has assured the US side that it will provide foolproof security to its visiting delegation.
Security concerns in Pakistan
Pakistan has a history of attacks during high-profile visits. In 2009, the Sri Lankan team came under terrorist attack in Lahore, which halted international cricket in Pakistan for nearly a decade. Six players were injured in the assault, forcing Pakistan to play home matches in the United Arab Emirates for years.
Secondly, Pakistan shares border with Afghanistan. It recently had engaged in conflict with neighbouring country. Pakistan forces claimed it had carried out attack on terrorist camp near the border region-- a claim contested by Taliban-led government. It claimed there were no camps in the region and added the targetted attack killed more than 400 patients.
Pakistan's Islamabad announces 2-day holiday
The Pakistani government has announced two-day holiday. Several videos and photos surfaced on social media show the city is in total lockdown-like condition. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was talking to US Charge d'affaires Natalie Baker, who called on him to discuss the preparation for the upcoming talks. According to a statement by the Interior Ministry on X, Naqvi and Baker discussed in detail the preparation of the talks.
The minister stated that the US Vice President JD Vance, US Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner were "our special guests". "A comprehensive plan has been prepared to provide foolproof security to all foreign guests in every respect," the minister was quoted as saying. The US envoy appreciated Pakistan's diplomatic role during the meeting.
In a related development, a 30-member advance team from the US has already arrived in Islamabad to review security arrangements. A hotel located within the Red Zone was also reserved for the delegations and vacated on government instructions, with heightened security deployed in and around the premises, sources told Dawn.
Red alert in Pakistan
The newspaper reported that a series of meetings has also been held in the twin cities on Wednesday to review security arrangements and devise strategies for the coming days. The sources further said that the Red Zone would remain completely sealed during the stay of the delegates in the capital. Some entry points to the capital will also be closed, said the sources.
VVIP protocol under the Blue Book will be extended to the delegations during their movement, stay and meetings, as per sources.
The Red Zone houses several key buildings, hotels, foreign missions and official residences of key figures. All state-run rescue departments and hospitals have been put on high alert. They have been asked to remain on standby and ensure the availability of staff and essential supplies, the sources added.
Why US and Iran chose Pakistan as peace point
Pakistan shares a 900-km border with Iran and hosts the world’s second-largest Shia population, making it strategically important to Tehran. It has no US military bases, unlike much of the Middle East, yet remains a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States since 2004.
Why JD Vance's probable visit is rare in US diplomacy
The US ambassadorial post in Islamabad has been vacant for much of the time since 2018, with only Donald Blome serving from 2022 to early 2025. No US president has visited Pakistan since George W. Bush in 2006, and no vice president since Joe Biden in 2011. Vice President Vance’s expected visit, 15 years later, marks a rare high-level US engagement in Islamabad, especially as it occurs without a sitting US ambassador.
(With inputs from agency)