The traffic restrictions that had choked movement around Islamabad’s Red Zone and the Serena Hotel have been lifted, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said, marking the first clear easing of the extraordinary security cordon imposed in the capital over the past several days. Dar said the curbs were removed “from today” and thanked residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi for their patience and cooperation.
The restrictions had been part of a broad security plan linked to high-level diplomatic activity in Islamabad, centered on expected US-Iran contacts and the visit of senior foreign delegations. In the lead-up, police shut the Red Zone and Extended Red Zone to general traffic, suspended movement on parts of the Islamabad Expressway from Korral to Zero Point, and warned that traffic on the Srinagar Highway could also be halted at different times.
The Serena Hotel sat at the heart of those arrangements. Reuters photos and multiple reports over the past week showed roads leading to the hotel barricaded, security personnel deployed in large numbers, and access tightly controlled as Pakistan prepared to host another phase of diplomacy tied to the US-Iran crisis. Dawn reported that a high-level Iranian delegation was in Islamabad on Saturday, while AP said the heightened security tied into Pakistan’s mediation push after US envoys’ travel plans were thrown into uncertainty.
For ordinary commuters, the lockdown had become a daily headache. Schools and offices in parts of the twin cities were shifted online earlier in the week, and police repeatedly advised residents to avoid key arteries and follow alternate routes. Even when some restrictions eased in parts of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, the Red Zone itself remained largely sealed until this latest announcement.
Dar’s statement now signals that the immediate high-alert phase has ended, at least for now. Still, given how fluid the regional situation remains, traffic arrangements in and around the federal capital could tighten again at short notice if another round of high-level meetings materialises. That last point is an inference based on the pattern of security advisories issued over the past week.
