Islamabad trails closed briefly
Local authorities closed Islamabad trails 2–5 and Saidpur for April 9–10 under a public advisory, so plan around those routes if you were headed out this weekend. (x.com)
Islamabad shut Trail 2, Trail 3, Trail 4, Trail 5, and the path behind Saidpur Village on April 9 and April 10 after the Office of the District Magistrate issued a public notice on April 8. The closure was temporary, but it hit some of the city’s busiest weekend hiking routes at once. (app.com.pk) The trails sit in the Margalla Hills, the ridge that runs along the north edge of Pakistan’s capital and doubles as Islamabad’s backyard park. Trail 3 is the best-known climb to Monal’s old viewpoint area, while Saidpur is the village-side access point many casual walkers use instead of the steeper trailheads. (thenews.pk) The government did not describe the order as a weather closure or a wildlife closure. Pakistani news outlets tied it to a wider security lockdown in Islamabad for high-level foreign delegations arriving in the city on April 9 and April 10. (brecorder.com) That wider lockdown reached far beyond the hills. Islamabad Traffic Police said heavy traffic was barred from entering the capital for two days, and the Expressway between Zero Point and Korral Chowk was shut from both sides with diversions for delegation movement. (brecorder.com) The reason the city tightened access so sharply was a round of United States-Iran talks hosted in Islamabad under heavy security. Pakistani reports said delegations from the United States, Iran, and other countries were expected, with the capital placed on high alert and parts of the Red Zone sealed. (nation.com.pk) (dawn.com) Local holidays were also declared across Islamabad Capital Territory for April 9 and April 10, except for essential services. That meant the trail closures were one piece of a much larger plan that affected offices, roads, hotels, and public movement across the city. (dawn.com) For hikers, the practical point was simple: this was not a permanent ban and not a change to trail policy. It was a two-day access restriction layered onto a citywide security operation, and the administration told residents to stay away from those routes until the advisory window ended. (propakistani.pk)
