Islamabad declares two-day public holiday

ISLAMABAD:  Authorities in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad have declared a two-day public holiday on Thursday and Friday, April 9 and 10, according to an official notification.

All government offices in the federal capital will remain closed during the period, the notification said.

However, essential services have been exempted from the holidays, with key institutions directed to continue operations to ensure public convenience.

The Islamabad Capital Territory administration, Capital Development Authority and Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad will continue to function as usual.

Law enforcement and utility services, including Islamabad Police, power distributor IESCO, Sui gas company and hospitals, will remain operational, authorities said.

The government said the decision to keep essential services active was aimed at minimising disruption and ensuring the availability of critical facilities during the holidays.

The announcement comes as Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and US Vice President JD Vance are expected to lead their respective delegations at high-stakes talks in Islamabad on Friday, as a fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran opens a narrow window for diplomacy.

Ghalibaf would head Tehran’s negotiating team, while Vance is likely to represent the United States, marking a rare high-level engagement between the two sides after weeks of escalating hostilities.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a warm and cordial telephone conversation lasting more than 45 minutes, during which they discussed the ceasefire, upcoming negotiations and regional developments.

The Pakistani premier formally offered to host negotiations between Iran and the United States in Islamabad this week, an offer that was accepted by Iran