RAWALPINDI: Special VVIP security cards have been issued to police personnel deployed to ensure foolproof security and avert any lapse during the visit of the Iranian delegation.

According to sources, Rawalpindi police personnel deployed on VVIP route duty have been issued fresh security cards containing the photograph of the official along with their designation.

Police officials on VVIP route duties have been directed to visibly display or wear their new security cards on their shirts to ensure identification. This exercise is often implemented to prevent imposters from posing as security personnel, a police official said.

Following confirmation of the arrival of foreign delegations by the authorities concerned, law enforcement agencies were placed on high alert in the garrison city and police night patrols were launched.

The security plan was implemented in Rawalpindi on April 18, 2026, with the deployment of more than 7,100 police personnel, including 400 Elite Commandos, 100 well-trained sharpshooters, 4,000 personnel of the Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) and 200 well-equipped Dolphin Force personnel to ensure foolproof security for the arrival of foreign delegations for the expected second round of high-level US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad.

As part of tightened security, 400 Elite Commandos, including 100 snipers, are part of a multi-layered security arrangement to ensure safety during the arrival and departure of high-level foreign delegations expected at Nur Khan Airbase for the talks.

Police personnel remain stationed across the city in accordance with the security plan, working 12-hour shifts from midnight to noon and from midday to midnight.

Police officials said they were uncertain how many more days they would remain deployed on the roads, although the deployment has been ongoing for the last six days.

According to the plan, more than 3,600 police personnel are deployed in the first shift from midnight to noon, while over 3,500 personnel are deployed in the second shift.

A separate security plan for Islamabad International Airport has also been devised, with 2,800 police personnel deployed in two shifts of 1,400 each to ensure the security of foreign delegations arriving for the US-Iran talks.

The distance between Islamabad International Airport and the old Toll Plaza on the motorway is seven kilometres and the area falls within the jurisdiction of Naseerabad Police Station in Rawalpindi.

In addition to route security duties, rooftop snipers have been deployed up to the limits of Islamabad district, where Islamabad Capital Territory police take over the security of VIP convoys en route to the capital.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2026