Pakistan's capital was still locked in gear on Wednesday to host high-stakes US-Iran talks that were pushed back at the last minute overnight, but many residents began to tire of the heavy personal and economic toll of tight security restrictions.
Markets were quiet, government officials worked from home, children attended class online and security forces enforced strict curbs on entering the vast "red zone" around the negotiating venue.Â
kAm&$ ':46 !C6D:56?E ys '2?46 925 366? 6IA64E65 E@ 2CC:G6 @? (65?6D52J >@C?:?8 3FE E96 (9:E6 w@FD6 23CFAE=J 492?865 A=2?D[ H:E9 xC2?VD ?68@E:2E:?8 56=682E:@? 2=D@ 56=2J:?8 2 564:D:@? @? 2EE6?5:?8 E2=<D]k^Am
kAm|2?J C6D:56?ED 9@A65 E92E ?68@E:2E:@?D H@F=5 3C:?8 2? 6?5 E@ C@25 4=@DFC6D 2?5 @E96C C6DEC:4E:@?D E9C@F89@FE E96 42A:E2=[ H:E9 D@>6 2C62D F?56C G:CEF2= =@4<5@H?]k^Am
kAmx?:E:2= AF3=:4 6FA9@C:2 @G6C !2<:DE2?VD :>286 36:?8 3FC?:D965 @? E96 8=@32= DE286 92D 368F? E@ 8:G6 H2J E@ 7C2J:?8 A2E:6?46 27E6C H66<D @7 DE@A\DE2CE C6DEC:4E:@?D 2C@F?5 xD=2>2325]k^Am
kAmQ(6 92G6 E@ =:G6 96C6[ E96 #65 +@?6 92D 366? D9FE 5@H?] r9:=5C6? 42??@E 8@ E@ D49@@=[ 2?5 D9@AD 2C6 4=@D65 7C@> E:>6 E@ E:>6[Q D2:5 @77:46 H@C<6C +2:?23 p=: &E9>2?<92:=[ af]k^Am
kAmQ!6CD@?2==J x 5@ 7:?5 :E G6CJ 2??@J:?8] |J E:>6 :D H2DE65] %C2?DA@CE 72C6D 92G6 :?4C62D65] qFE x 2> 92AAJ E92E H6 2C6 5@:?8 D@>6E9:?8 A@D:E:G6[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ }@ 4FDE@>6CD \k^9am
kAm$:>:=2C >62DFC6D H6C6 6?7@C465 7@C 2 7:CDE C@F?5 @7 &$\xC2? E2=<D :? xD=2>2325 E9:D >@?E9[ 2?5 D@>6 C6DEC:4E:@?D H6C6 ?6G6C =:7E65]k^Am
kAm%92E C@F?5 @7 ?68@E:2E:@?D 6?565 H:E9@FE 2? 28C66>6?E[ 3FE &$ !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A 6IE6?565 2 462D67:C6 @? (65?6D52J 2D 76G6C:D9 5:A=@>24J 4@?E:?F65 E@ 6?5 E96 |:55=6 t2DE (2C E92E 3682? H:E9 &$ 2?5 xDC26=: DEC:<6D @? xC2? @? u63CF2CJ ag]k^Am
kAm|2;@C C@25D 92G6 366? 4=@D65 :? C646?E 52JD E@ 724:=:E2E6 E96 2CC:G2= @7 7@C6:8? 56=682E:@?D 2?5 &$ 42C8@ A=2?6D 56=:G6C:?8 6BF:A>6?E]k^Am
kAmxD=2>2325 C6D:56?ED 2C6 FD65 E@ C6DEC:4E:@?D 2?5 C@25 4=@DFC6D[ 92G:?8 =:G65 E9C@F89 A6C:@5D @7 >:=:E2?E 2EE24<D[ A@=:E:42= AC@E6DED 2?5 G:D:ED 3J 9625D @7 DE2E6]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 :?E6?D:EJ 2?5 DE@A\DE2CE ?2EFC6 @7 E9:D >@?E9VD >62DFC6D 92G6 AFD965 D@>6 E@ E96 =:>:E[ 6DA64:2==J E96 >2?J D>2== 3FD:?6DD @H?6CD 2?5 52:=J H286 H@C<6CD H9@D6 :?4@>6D 92G6 366? D=2D965 :? 2? 2=C625J DECF88=:?8 64@?@>J]k^Am
kAmQ%96 :>A24E @7 E96 =@4<5@H? :D E92E H6 2C6 ?@E D66:?8 2?J 4FDE@>6CD 96C6 :? E96 >2C<6E]]] E96 8@G6C?>6?E 5@6D ?@E <?@H H92E @?6 52J @7 E96:C =@4<5@H? 5@6D E@ @FC 9@FD69@=5D[Q |F92>>25 p9D2?[ bd[ E96 @H?6C @7 2 D>2== ;6H6==6CJ <:@D<[ D2:5 E9:D H66<]k^Am
kAmQ~FC DE@G6D 5@ ?@E CF?[ H6 5@ ?@E 7:?5 7@@5 W:? E96 >2C<6EDX]Qk^Am
kAm{2C86 3FD:?6DD6D H6C6 2=D@ 27764E65[ H:E9 >2;@C @:= C67:?6C pEE@4< 2??@F?4:?8 :E H2D A2FD:?8 AC@5F4E:@? 2E 2 <6J F?:E 5F6 E@ EC2?DA@CE 5:DCFAE:@?D]k^Am
kAm|2?J :? xD=2>2325 ?@?6E96=6DD H6C6 AC@F5 @7 E96:C 4@F?ECJVD C@=6 :? ?2G:82E:?8 2 A@DD:3=6 6?5 E@ H66<D @7 7:89E:?8 E92E 92D <:==65 E9@FD2?5D 2?5 E9C@H? E96 8=@32= 64@?@>J :?E@ EFC>@:=]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C[ E96J 2=D@ 3C2465 E96>D6=G6D 7@C >@C6Â 5:DCFAE:@?]k^Am
kAmQ(6 2C6 8:G:?8 2 D>2== D24C:7:46 E@ C65F46 E96 D:K6 @7 E96 =2C86C D24C:7:46[Q D2:5 $J65 &>2C w2D?2:? $929[ 2 J@F?8 5@4E@C] Q$@ H6 H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ D24C:7:46]Qk^Am
kAm3FC\468^292^A3Ek^Am


