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US negotiators will be in Islamabad on Monday for Iran talks, confirms Trump

Washington: US President Donald Trump has confirmed that US negotiators will be arriving in Islamabad on Monday evening to hold the second round of talks with Iran, while warning Tehran of dire consequences if it rejected a peace deal with Washington.

“My Representatives are going to Islamabad, Pakistan — They will be there tomorrow [Monday] evening, for Negotiations,” the US president wrote in a post on his Truth Social on Sunday.

He also accused Iran of a “total violation” of the two countries’ ceasefire for firing on ships near the Strait of Hormuz, and renewed a threat to wipe out Iran’s bridges and power plants unless it accepted his terms.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran,” he warned. “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”

Meanwhile, conflicting reports have emerged over the composition of the US delegation for the second round of talks with Tehran.

Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff were heading to Islamabad for the talks, Axios quoted the US president as saying.

The report came shortly after NBC News reported that Vice President JD Vance — who led Washington’s delegation in the previous talks — will be part of the delegation for the second round.

Citing the US ambassador to the United Nations, the publication said that Vance will lead the delegation.

Global oil prices fell and stock markets surged on Friday when Iran first announced it would reopen the strait, which it had effectively closed to all shipping apart from its own since Trump and Israel launched the war on February 28.

But after Trump said he would continue a blockade of Iranian shipping, Tehran said on Saturday it was keeping the strait closed. At least two ships reported they had been fired upon while approaching the strait on Saturday.

“Iran decided to fire bullets yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz — A Total Violation of our Ceasefire Agreement!” Trump wrote in Sunday morning’s post. “That wasn’t nice, was it?”

Security on high alert

Meanwhile, an advance team from the US has arrived in Islamabad as Pakistan prepares to host the second round of talks between Washington and Tehran, sources said on Sunday.

Advance teams from foreign delegations have begun arriving in the country ahead of the much-anticipated talks, sources said.

Authorities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi heightened security in the federal capital, sealing off the Red Zone to all traffic.

The Middle East conflict began on February 28, following joint strikes by the US and Israel against. The scope of the conflict quickly spread as Tehran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz and launched retaliatory attacks against Israel and US bases across the Gulf region.

After agreeing to the PM Shehbaz-facilitated ceasefire, the two sides held negotiations in Islamabad over the last weekend on a wide range of disputes. However, the talks could result in an agreement for a permanent end to the conflict.

However, Pakistan continued its marathon efforts to help resolve longstanding disputes between the two sides, including COAS-CDF Field Marshal Asim Munir’s visit to Tehran, where he met Iran’s top political and military leadership.

A day after CDF Munir’s visit, Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz open, citing the agreement of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon.

However, the country blocked the waterway again, citing Washington’s naval blockade of Iranian ports as the reason.

Despite lingering issues, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said talks with Washington have seen “progress,” but “many gaps and some fundamental points remain.”

“We are still far from the final discussion,” said Ghalibaf in a televised address earlier today.

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Pakistani Students’ UK Visa Delays Raised by Azam Nazeer Tarar with British High Commissioner

Azam Nazeer Tarar with UK High Commissioner

ISLAMABAD: British High Commissioner Jane Marriott called on Federal Minister for Law & Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar. The meeting discussed Pakistan-UK bilateral relations, matters of mutual interest and ways to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting, the Federal Minister raised the issue of delays in UK visas for Pakistani students and conveyed the Government of Pakistan’s concern to the British High Commissioner.

Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar said that hundreds of Pakistani students were facing difficulties due to delays in visa processing, with a risk that the delays could result in the loss of their academic year. He stressed the need to remove obstacles faced by Pakistani students seeking education abroad and facilitate them in this regard.

The Federal Minister briefed the British High Commissioner that, on the directives of the Prime Minister, a committee under his chairmanship was working to improve the legal and institutional framework concerning Pakistani students studying abroad.

He further informed the High Commissioner that, on the Prime Minister’s directives, the committee had finalized its recommendations on the matter, and work was underway to further improve the legal and institutional framework for Pakistani students pursuing education abroad.

The Federal Minister said that the legal and institutional framework for Pakistani students seeking education abroad was being improved to develop an effective mechanism for addressing the issues faced by students.

British High Commissioner Jane Marriott assured the Federal Minister that the issue of delays in visas for Pakistani students would be addressed.

The meeting also discussed further strengthening educational linkages between Pakistan and the United Kingdom, as well as enhancing institutional cooperation and engagement between the two countries.

Minister of State for Law, Justice and Human Rights Barrister Aqeel Malik was also present during the meeting.

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Naqvi Sets September 30 Deadline for Completion of Islamabad Safe City Expansion

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, accompanied by Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, visited the Islamabad Safe City Headquarters on Friday and chaired a special meeting to review progress on the Safe City Expansion Project, directing officials to complete the ambitious initiative by September 30.

During the briefing, officials informed the minister that overall work on the expansion project has reached 85 percent completion. Installation of the new surveillance network is also 85 percent complete, while 415 kilometres of optical fibre have been laid to support the upgraded system. Work on the data centre, cyber architecture, and cybersecurity infrastructure has also reached approximately 80 percent completion.

Expressing satisfaction over the pace of work, Naqvi stressed that the remaining tasks must be completed within the stipulated timeframe.

He said the government’s vision is to transform the Islamabad Safe City into a modern, smart, and world-class institution comparable to those in developed countries.

The interior minister said the technologically advanced Safe City system would significantly strengthen public safety through enhanced surveillance, effective monitoring, and rapid emergency response capabilities.

He noted that the project would play a vital role in improving law enforcement efficiency and ensuring better security for residents of the federal capital.

Naqvi also assigned officials the task of completing the state-of-the-art Fusion Centre within the next three months, describing it as a critical component of the upgraded Safe City network.

He further directed the relevant authorities to finalise the Safe City Bill at the earliest and present it before the National Assembly without delay to provide the legal framework necessary for the project’s long-term operation and expansion.

The meeting was attended by the Federal Secretary for Interior, the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), senior Safe City officials, and other relevant officers, who briefed the minister on the progress and future roadmap of the expansion project.

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PM Shehbaz, high-level delegation perform Umrah; pray for country’s progress

MAKKAH AL-MUKARRAMAH: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, along with his high-level delegation, performed Umrah here on Friday.

He was accompanied by his delegation including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, federal ministers Khawaja Muhammad Asif and Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi.

The door of Khana Kaaba was opened specially for the prime minister and his delegation.

Following the completion of the Umrah rituals, the prime minister, field marshal, and other members of the Pakistani delegation offered special prayers for the progress and prosperity of the country, the safety and unity of the Muslim Ummah, and for regional and global peace.

The prime minister arrived in Jeddah on Thursday evening for a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Besides meeting with his Saudi counterpart, he will also pay a visit to the Roze-e-Rasool (PBUH) in Madinah.