China's Olympic Shame: Olympic Torch Became a Symbol of Clandestine
Shame -- Tight security in Pakistan Olympic torch run
Tight security in Pakistan Olympic torch run
SADAQAT JAN
Associated Press
April 16, 2008 at 2:02 PM EDT
ISLAMABAD ！ Runners carried the Olympic flame around the outside of a
s****ts stadium Wednesday ！ an invitation-only event in front of an
elite, sparse crowd with heavy security to deter any anti-China
protesters or terrorist attacks.
Clearly worried about the possibility that the high-profile ceremony
might be disrupted, thousands of police aided by explosives-sniffing
dogs stood guard as Pakistan's pro-China government ensured a
trouble-free stop on the torch's global tour toward Beijing.
Televised live ！ the only way the general public could watch ！ the relay
of Pakistani and Chinese torchbearers looked almost like a practice run
as they jogged on access roads around the perimeter of Jinnah Stadium,
Islamabad's main s****ts complex.
President Pervez Musharraf, fresh from a six-day trip to China,
presented the Olympic flame to the first runner, then joined a raft of
school children on reviewing stands.
Pakistani athlete Kiran Bano holds the Beijing Olympic torch as she runs
around the S****ts Complex in Islamabad.
Enlarge Image
Pakistani athlete Kiran Bano holds the Beijing Olympic torch as she runs
around the S****ts Complex in Islamabad. (Reuters)
Videos
Olympic torch run
Torch reaches Pakistan
Runners carried the heavily-guarded Olympic flame onto the grounds of a
s****ts stadium in Pakistan on Wednesday
The Globe and Mail
"I would like the people of China who are our closest friends to know
that we stand with you and sup****t you in this glorious event you host
for the entire world," Mr. Musharraf said in an address.
Protests of China's human rights record have disrupted the torch's
passage through Western cities, and Pakistan has gone to great lengths
to avoid any repeat during the Olympic symbol's 22-hour stay here.
The original plans for carrying the torch along a two-kilometre route
from the white-marble Parliament in Pakistan's capital were changed.
Colonel Baseer Haider, an army official helping organize the event, said
the route was changed because of the "overall security environment" and
the risk of bad weather. A violent hailstorm hit Islamabad on Tuesday,
but the weather was fine Wednesday.
Police, many carrying guns, surrounded the stadium, where soldiers
manned the main gate and checked vehicles with sniffer dogs. Only guests
with invitation cards issued by the Pakistan Olympic Association were
being allowed in.
"There is absolutely no chance of any trouble, any protest against it,"
said event coordinator Mohammed Yahya from the Pakistan Olympic
Association.
A plane carrying the torch from Oman landed at the military section of
Islamabad air****t amid tight security early Wednesday.
About 60 Pakistani athletes took turns carrying the torch on the grounds
of the stadium. A display of folk music and dancing were scheduled
afterward.
The Pakistan Olympic Association urged broadcasters using state TV
coverage of the torch to avoid "negative comments" and make "no mention"
of the conflict in Tibet.
Pakistan has strong and long-standing defence and economic links with
China. Both are rivals of neighbouring India.
The torch's stops in Kazakhstan, Russia, Argentina, Tanzania and Oman
have been trouble-free.
However, rioting in two Pakistani cities in the past week has raised
tension in a country permanently on guard against attacks by Islamic
militants based along its border with Afghanistan. Chinese workers were
targeted in two deadly attacks last year.
"We have to take care that there is no infiltration by some elements who
are bent on disrupting our understanding and great relation****p," Mr.
Musharraf said in China on Monday.
The turmoil over the torch relay and the growing international criticism
of China's policies on Tibet and Darfur have turned the Beijing Olympic
Games ！ which begin Aug. 8 ！ into one of the most contentious in recent
history.
The flame travels on Thursday to India, home to nearly 100,000 Tibetan
exiles including the Dalai Lama. Thousands of police have been deployed
there to deter chaotic protests.
|
