Islamabad: Converting Islamabad into a veritable fortress, Pakistan today (Dec 30, 2003) announced unprecedented security arrangements for next week's SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) Summit with the deployment of nearly 8,000 paramilitary troops and security personnel at the venues and hotels in which Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and heads of other countries were to stay.

Pakistan Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said Islamabad has been divided into zones and the venues of the summit and the hotels where the guests would be putting up have been categorised as "red zone" and nobody would be permitted to enter them.

"Only those commuters having special security passes could enter the 'red zone' from tomorrow to January 6," he said in an interview, adding that the 'red zone' comprises area around the Convention Centre and would be sealed from tomorrow with the deployment of 8,000 paramilitary troops and personnel from armed forces, Islamabad Police and the provincial police.

Security concerns for the summit scheduled to begin on January 4 were heightened after the December 25 twin suicide car bomb attacks on President Pervez Musharraf.

Also, the Indian High Commission has reportedly decided to put off its plans to bring Vajpayee to its premises to address the staff.