As Pakistan, which took on a mediating role in cease-fire talks between the United States and Iran, moved to impose citywide controls citing preparations for the talks, frustration boiled over among residents inconvenienced by the measures.
On the 26th, The New York Times (NYT) said, "After U.S. President Donald Trump canceled the U.S. negotiating team's visit to Islamabad and the city reopened, residents and shopkeepers emerged from sealed neighborhoods and shuttered stores to voice their complaints in unison."
The Middle East–focused outlet Arab News also reported that "the sweeping security measures implemented by Islamabad authorities included road closures and bans on large transport operations, which caused widespread inconvenience to residents," adding, "residents and corporations faced shortages of fresh food and disruptions to daily life during the period of control."
According to the NYT, as Pakistan's government prepared for a second round of talks between the United States and Iran, it cleared the Serena Hotel, where the first meeting was held on the 11th, and reimposed a lockdown across an area of about 3.2 kilometers around it. As a result, thousands of private facilities near the hotel—including private hospitals, restaurants, offices, and banks—had to suspend operations without any separate financial compensation.
However, on the 25th, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was in Islamabad for the talks, left Pakistan in protest of the U.S. maritime blockade of Iran, and then President Trump also said he would cancel the U.S. delegation's visit to Pakistan, scuttling the second round of negotiations. In response, Pakistan's government lifted most of the lockdown measures it had imposed around the Serena Hotel as of the 25th.
In Pakistan, an Islamic country, authorities have often imposed lockdown measures to block protests or sit-ins led by religious groups. Blocking highways, closing shops, and suspending services were familiar sights to residents of the capital, Islamabad. But the NYT said that enduring lockdowns due to diplomatic talks between two other countries—and bearing the resulting economic damage—was something most citizens found hard to accept.
Abdul Haq, a tea shop manager, said he suffered about $1,800 (about 2.65 million won) in lost sales due to the lockdown, adding, "In the end, everyone suffered because nothing happened. Why on earth did we have to close the shop?" Motorcycle taxi driver Muhammad Tanveer criticized, "They locked down the city and achieved nothing."
The damage from the lockdown was across the board. As police blocked the entry of large freight trucks, merchants supplying goods to about 2.5 million residents had to transfer items to smaller vehicles. This led to additional expense at a time when fuel costs had already risen due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Also, because the U.S.-Iran talks had been scheduled at the Serena Hotel, the European Union (EU) had to move a two-day business event, which hundreds were expected to attend, to another venue. Some roads and schools, as well as the Faizabad bus terminal and popular hiking trails, were reportedly still under control even after the lockdown was lifted.
With the prospects for U.S.-Iran talks still alive, further damage to Pakistan residents is expected. Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakistan ambassador to the United States and the United Nations, said, "It was disappointing for Pakistan's mediators that the second meeting could not take place," but added, "since neither Washington nor Iran has completely closed the door to diplomacy, the mediators will not give up their efforts."