ISLAMABAD, April 14: President Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), Syed Arif Hasan has said that Pakistan is ready for the Beijing Olympics torch relay which will be held in Islamabad on the 16th of this month.

Speaking at a crowded press conference here on Monday, he said the event will be one of the most historic and colourful ones ever held in Pakistan and will strengthen the ties with China.

He dispelled the impression that the recent protests against the torch relay in a few countries including Tibet will in any way affect its journey to Pakistan. Commenting on the security for the important occasion, the POA president said that tight security will be ensured for the Olympic Torch Relay in Islamabad.

Arif Hasan added that Pakistan fully supported China and were looking forward to what is being tipped as the best ever Olympic Games in Beijing.

The number of runners carrying the torch during its journey in the capital has now been reduced to 65 from an earlier figure of 80. The route of the torch has also been changed, apparently, due to security concerns. The torch relay is now going to commence from the main gate of Pakistan Sports Complex and will travel around the stadium with sports personalities, philanthropists and celebrities taking turns to carry it along the way.

The Beijing Olympic Torch ‘Lucky Cloud’ - representing harmony between people and the nature - was also unveiled at the press briefing.

The Olympic torch landed in Muscat on Monday after a stopover in Dar-es- Salaam, having earlier travelled from San Francisco and Buenos Aires.

Meanwhile, the Olympic Torch will arrive at the Islamabad International Airport on its tenth leg on a specially chartered plane.

Arif Hasan said that the community representatives of the capital city Kamran Lahsahri, Federal Minister of Sports, the Chinese Ambassador and other top government officials will receive the torch at the airport.

Elaborating about the ceremony of the Olympic Torch, he said that the torch relay will start with the torch lighting ceremony and thereafter the relay will be followed by a cauldron lighting ceremony.

Lv Xiaohong, an advanced media coordinator from Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games, also spoke on the occasion and said: “We are very excited to see the happiness of Pakistani people on this occasion.”

Xiaohong said that the Olympic torch will cover 1,37,000km distance over 130 days and around 21,880 people including students, social personalities, athletes and various other cultural representatives from around the world will carry it eventually to its final destination, Beijing.

The Beijing Olympic torch will travel to New Delhi after its relay in Islamabad.