Pakistan cuts Olympics torch relay route: Official
Pakistan on Monday slashed its leg of the Olympic torch relay for security reasons, a senior sports officials said, the latest amendment to the world tour which has been dogged by protests.
By Agencies |
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday slashed its leg of the Olympic torch relay for security reasons, a senior sports officials said, the latest amendment to the world tour which has been dogged by protests.
The torch, which arrives in Pakistan Wednesday on the first stop in its Asian leg of the tour, was supposed to travel through the streets of the capital Islamabad before reaching a stadium for a ceremony.
But the relay will now be confined to the Jinnah Stadium, said senior Pakistan Sports Board official Lieutenant Colonel Baseer Haider Malik.
"The route has been curtailed because of the weather condition and overall security situation," Malik said.
"It will now be confined to the stadium," he said. The ceremony is expected to be attended by President Pervez Musharraf who earlier Monday condemned protests that have marred the Beijing Olympic torch relay, and vowed to maintain security when the flame arrived.
"We have taken all measures to ensure its security," Musharraf, who is in China, told students following a speech at a Beijing university.
"There is no one in Pakistan, not one man, who would like to do anything against the interests of China."
Pakistan has been hit by a wave of bomb blasts -- mostly suicide bombings -- blamed on Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants, killing more than 1,000 people since January 2007, according to an AFP tally.
The flame is arriving in Pakistan after protests over Tibet and human rights marred the European and US legs of its world tour.
Musharraf reiterated his position that Tibet was a part of China and an internal affair that should be handled by Beijing, free of foreign interference.
China is one of Pakistan's closest allies and its largest arms supplier.
The torch, which arrives in Pakistan Wednesday on the first stop in its Asian leg of the tour, was supposed to travel through the streets of the capital Islamabad before reaching a stadium for a ceremony.
But the relay will now be confined to the Jinnah Stadium, said senior Pakistan Sports Board official Lieutenant Colonel Baseer Haider Malik.
"The route has been curtailed because of the weather condition and overall security situation," Malik said.
"It will now be confined to the stadium," he said. The ceremony is expected to be attended by President Pervez Musharraf who earlier Monday condemned protests that have marred the Beijing Olympic torch relay, and vowed to maintain security when the flame arrived.
"We have taken all measures to ensure its security," Musharraf, who is in China, told students following a speech at a Beijing university.
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"There is no one in Pakistan, not one man, who would like to do anything against the interests of China."
Pakistan has been hit by a wave of bomb blasts -- mostly suicide bombings -- blamed on Al-Qaeda and Taliban-linked militants, killing more than 1,000 people since January 2007, according to an AFP tally.
The flame is arriving in Pakistan after protests over Tibet and human rights marred the European and US legs of its world tour.
Musharraf reiterated his position that Tibet was a part of China and an internal affair that should be handled by Beijing, free of foreign interference.
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China is one of Pakistan's closest allies and its largest arms supplier.
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