US, Iran delegations likely to meet again on Monday in Pakistan: sources

Iranian and US delegations are expected to arrive in Pakistan over the weekend and could hold negotiations on Monday, Iranian sources familiar with the talks told CNN, though Washington has not confirmed the schedule, if any.

Earlier on Friday, US President Donald Trump expressed confidence that the two sides were close to reaching a deal.

Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies (LEAs) have stepped up security in the federal capital and established additional police pickets across the city in view of a possible second round of peace talks between Iran and the United States in Pakistan, Business Recorder reported on Saturday.

A heavy presence of all LEAs was witnessed in the red zone and other parts of the city. The number of security personnel has been increased at entry and exit points, sensitive installations, and key roads leading to the high security zone.

READ MORE: US, Iranian teams could return to Islamabad for peace talks this week, five sources say

As per the security plan, police have been asked to set up and reinforce pickets to monitor movement and detect suspicious activity across the city. A major portion of security personnel, including Islamabad police, Federal Constabulary (FC), rangers, and police personnel summoned from other districts, including Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lahore, Multan, Sahiwal, and Faisalabad, have been deployed in the city.

The army will be deployed in and around the Red Zone and important installations in the high security zone.

Police sources said that surveillance has also been intensified, with the carrying out of search operations and intelligence-based surveillance, especially in the outskirts of the city.

Furthermore, security has also been tightened in Rawalpindi with the deployment of a heavy contingent of police and hundreds of pickets set up to secure routes, which might be used for the movement of incoming foreign dignitaries.

Following the directives of high-ups of police, different teams of police have carried out extensive combing and search operations in multiple areas, including Karpa, Sumbal, Secretariat, Khanna, Industrial Area, Bani Gala, and Tarnol police stations.

The operations were supervised by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) operations Qazi Ali Raza, with zonal Superintendent of Police (SPs) overseeing activities on the ground. Female police officers also actively participated in the search efforts, a police official said.

He said that during the operations, police checked 712 individuals and 1,108 households. Additionally, 182 shops and 32 hotels were inspected. Police personnel also examined 381 motorcycles and 141 vehicles.

During the operation, police took 20 Afghan nationals and 56 suspicious individuals into custody. Two vehicles and 47 motorcycles were seized and taken to police stations for further verification.

Police also arrested several suspects accused of possessing illegal weapons and recovered four pistols from them.

The development comes a couple of days after the Foreign Office (FO) clarified that at present it has no information regarding the time or venue of the second round of US-Iran talks.

However, it had vowed that Pakistan would continue to work as a principal interlocutor for comprehensive peace. “The mediatory process is continuing. I think we all must rejoice at this positivity,” the FO spokesperson Tahir Andrabi had stated while addressing the weekly media briefing.

“The next round of talks …. Well, there are no dates yet. There were several questions on when and where these talks would take place. I requested all our media colleagues that we should refrain from the speculations and wait for the official announcements.

“So, I do not have an official announcement to make in this regard. We will announce the timing of these talks as and when it is decided. These talks were held with utmost confidentiality,” Andrabi had said.

“The dates for upcoming talks remain undisclosed at this stage,” he had stated. He had remarked that the talks between Iran and the US were still under way, but details of the specifics and dates of the upcoming meeting could not be disclosed at this point in time due to utmost secrecy. “Let me very unequivocally state that the confidentiality for us was paramount because of our role as a mediator and facilitator. Pakistan’s role did not stop with the end of the Islamabad talks. It continued, as was expressed by the Deputy Prime Minister in his media statement.”