The Beijing Olympic flame has arrived in Pakistani capital Islamabad and is ready for the 10th leg of its global tour.
The Beijing Olympic flame has arrived in Pakistani capital Islamabad and is ready for the 10th leg of its global tour.
The Olympic flame, carried in a specially-designed lantern, was flied to Islamabad on a chartered plane from Muscat, the capital and largest city of the Sultanate of Oman.
Upon arrival, the Olympic flame and the whole delegation were welcomed by a cheering crowd, among whom are President of Pakistan Olympic Association Arif Hassan, Pakistan's Sports Minister Muhammad Asif and Chairman of Capital Development Authority Kamran Lashari as well as Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Luo Zhaohui.
The flame delegation is headed by Jiang Xiaoyu, vice president of the BOCOG, who carried the flame lantern.
The Olympic torch relay, the first time for Islamabad, will start on Wednesday afternoon in southeast Islamabad's Pakistan Sports Complex, a sports project constructed in mid-1980s with assistance from China.
Local media said Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani are likely to attend the torch relay ceremony. There are 65 torch bearers in the relay, including 10 women.
Following the stop of Islamabad, the Olympic torch relay will go to New Delhi of India.
(CCTV April 17, 2008)