Islamabad courts shut as security tightened for Pezeshkian visit

By Faizan Khan and Farah Mahjabeen

ISLAMABAD: Judicial proceedings at key courts in the federal capital were suspended on Tuesday after authorities imposed security restrictions across Islamabad’s Red Zone ahead of the arrival of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) announced that no judicial work would take place at its principal seat in Islamabad due to road closures and access restrictions in the high-security zone. In a notification, the court said proceedings had been suspended because lawyers, litigants and court staff were expected to face significant difficulties reaching the premises.

The court directed all officers and employees to work from home for the day. However, staff members were instructed not to leave their duty stations without prior permission. Despite the suspension of proceedings at the principal seat, all four branch registries of the Federal Constitutional Court will remain open for judicial and administrative matters.

Separately, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) also announced the cancellation of its cause list and suspension of court proceedings for the day. The notification, issued with the approval of Chief Justice Sardar Sarfraz Dogar, cited security arrangements and restrictions linked to the visit of a foreign delegation.

The IHC directed officers and staff to work remotely and said court employees would not be permitted to leave their stations without prior approval from the relevant authority. The court noted that litigants, lawyers and judicial staff could face severe difficulties in reaching the high court due to the closure of routes within the Red Zone.

While the high court suspended proceedings, Islamabad’s district courts will remain open and continue functioning according to their normal schedule.

In a separate development, the district administration ordered the closure of several hiking trails in the Margalla Hills until further notice. According to an official notification, Trails 2, 3, 4 and 5, as well as routes connected to Saidpur Village, will remain closed.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Division directed ministries and divisions located within the Red Zone to operate under a work-from-home arrangement on Tuesday morning.

However, a number of key government institutions will continue functioning normally. These include the Prime Minister’s Office, Cabinet Division, Finance Division, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Industries and Production, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, Planning Division, and the secretariats of both the Senate and National Assembly.

Islamabad Police also issued a public advisory announcing the temporary closure of most citizen facilitation centres and traffic headquarters services. Authorities said all service centres, except those located in F-6 and Cascade, would remain closed on Tuesday. Professional driving tests, including LTV, HTV and PSV examinations conducted at the F-8 facility, were also suspended for the day.