ISLAMABAD: Extraordinarily high security measures around the Serena Hotel, where foreign cricketers are staying, have turned the area into a ‘no-go zone’ as sections of roads leading to the hotel have been blocked by the Islamabad police.

Visitors said that no police official was seen at any point in the vicinity of the Serena Hotel to guide those who had travelled from distant places to attend meetings at the hotel. Policemen blocking the main road near the Convention Centre were only diverting vehicles to the highway leading either to Aabpara or Murree.

A two-day dialogue on Pakistan’s economy opened at the Serena Hotel on Wednesday, where discussions on a whole gamut of economic issues began with fewer participants. The reduced attendance was attributed to the denial of access to participants on the opening day of the conference.

Many attendees missed the proceedings and had to leave without participating.

Most delegations of foreign investors visiting Islamabad for negotiations with the government stay at the Serena Hotel, and such disruptive security measures undermine their confidence, citizens said.

The policemen deployed around the hotel were directing vehicles into a street where access to the hotel was closed.

Hundreds of stranded vehicles highlighted the poor security arrangements by the Islamabad police. The available parking was full, and there was no policeman to guide motorists on how to exit the gridlock.

Several international organisations, including UN agencies and investment companies, have offices in the Serena Business Complex. Their staff members face difficulties in accessing their workplaces.

A staff member of an international organisation told Dawn that the security measures around the hotel for the past four months have been a major hindrance.

The stringent security measures have also become a headache for thousands of people who visit the Foreign Office for attestation of documents related to employment, education, residency and family reunification abroad.

The attestation office is accessed through the Serena Hotel parking lot, which has been closed.

People seeking attestation were seen stranded and pleading for passage, but police denied them entry.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2025