Violence-hit Pakistan locks down the capital for an Asian security meeting

Pakistani authorities have locked down the capital in a major security move as senior officials from several nations arrive for an Asian security group meeting. A three-day holiday was declared in normally bustling Islamabad and the nearby garrison city of Rawalpindi and Pakistan has deployed troops and blocked key roads, making it difficult even for ambulances to pass through. The main event of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will be held Wednesday, when leaders and officials discuss how to boost their security cooperation and economic ties. The group was founded in 2001 by China and Russia to counter Western alliances. Other members include Iran, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.