Pakistan deploys extra police ahead of regional summit

Billboards showing presidents of Azerbiajan, Kazakhstan and Turkey on a main highway to welcome them in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. Pakistan will host representatives from 10 countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization on Wednesday to finalize a plan for expanding trade and prosperity in the region. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) (The Associated Press)

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Motorcyclists drive past billboards showing heads of state, from left to right, of Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on a main highway to welcome them in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. Pakistan will host representatives from 10 countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization on Wednesday to finalize a plan for expanding trade and prosperity in the region. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) (The Associated Press)

Billboards showing portraits of presidents of Turkey, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan are displayed at a main highway to welcome them in Islamabad, Pakistan, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2017. Pakistan will host representatives from 10 countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization on Wednesday to finalize a plan for expanding trade and prosperity in the region. (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed) (The Associated Press)

Pakistan's interior ministry says it has deployed extra police forces and paramilitary units to boost security in the country's capital ahead of a regional summit on economic cooperation.

Islamabad will host representatives from 10 countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization on Wednesday to finalize a plan on expanding trade and prosperity in the region.

Two Pakistani officials say the presidents of Iran and Turkey, Hassan Rouhani and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, are expected to attend the summit. The officials spoke on anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media.

Turkey, Iran and Pakistan are the three ECO founding members. Afghanistan is also attending.

The Pakistani foreign ministry says several ministers from ECO member states are already in Islamabad for preparatory meetings ahead of the summit.

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