Pakistan to host Muslim leaders in rare summit.

Pakistan to host Muslim leaders in rare summit.(HD).Muslim leaders gather today for a rare summit in Pakistan designed to increase trade and investment but likely to be overshadowed by the Gaza conflict as diplomats scramble to arrange a ceasefire. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Egyptian leader Mohamed Morsi and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, key players in the Middle East, are scheduled to be among those attending the Developing Eight (D8) summit. The Istanbul-based D8 groups Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey, with an estimated total population of one billion people. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Nigerian leader Goodluck Jonathan are expected to attend. Bangladesh and Malaysia will be represented at adviser- and ministerial-level respectively. The summit will mark the first visit by an Egyptian president to Pakistan in four decades and by the first by a Nigerian leader in 28 years. Its goal is to increase trade between member countries from $130 billion to $507 billion by 2018. D8 leaders are set "to discuss ways to cushion the effects of the global economic recession and climate change and tackle ways to boost trade among themselves", the Pakistani government said in a statement. Islamabad rarely hosts major international gatherings given the Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked violence that has plagued the country since the 9/11 attacks. Security will be stepped up significantly, not least as the summit coincides with the holy month of Muharram, a magnet for sectarian attacks in Pakistan. Thousands of extra police and paramilitaries will deploy and construction work has been suspended around the diplomatic enclave to provide "God willing, foolproof security", Islamabad police chief Bani Amin told AFP.Hmmmm........"holy month of Muharram, a magnet for sectarian attacks in Pakistan".....Yup.Read the full story here.