Olympic torch not coming to Pakistan: Olympics Committee
Representing peace, unity and friendship, the flame will be carried by 8000 inspirational torchbearers all across the world however the torch will not pass through Pakistan as the security situation in the country has been unstable in recent years.
Secretary Pakistan Olympics Committee also confirmed the report saying that the prestigious torch will not come to Pakistan for the next Olympics.
The event is to be held next year in British capital.
The London 2012 Olympic Torch has been designed by East Londoner's Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.
Earlier China’s state media has questioned the ability of London’s embattled police to “maintain social order” for the 2012 Olympics after Britain suffered its worst riots in decades.
More than 1,100 people have been arrested since violence erupted on Saturday in the north London district of Tottenham and then spread to other British cities, leaving three people dead.
“Although officials such as London Mayor Boris Johnson still express their faith in security at the Olympics after the riots, many unfavourable factors exist that make it hard for people to relax,” said http://www.china.com.cn.
(Read: China questions Olympics security after UK riots)
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@Mirza: Taxes are paid in PKR not foreign currency. Taxes are always paid in the local currency in every country on the planet. And Pakistani exporters earn a hell of a lot more foreign currency than Pakistanis working abroad send home. So, really, get your facts straight!
@saeed: I wrote this "We would be left alone in the world and treated as a terrorist nation." I did not say that we are a terrorist nation. Yes we would be treated as one, if we do not shape up. Don't shoot the messenger, I am only telling what is happening. May be the following example would make you understand In a country where the cold blooded murderers of Salman Taseer and Bhatti are safe and the courts and rightwing parties shower them with roses, the world is not going to form a positive opinion about it. The justice in Pakistan is not only blind it is selective. Let us keep it civil and argue like educated civilized people. Nobody has a monopoly over Islam and love for Pakistan. Pakistan’s largest source of foreign exchange is the money we send to our country. Not the taxes paid by people living in Pakistan. We are not stealing taxes, power and bribes, only serving the nation. Happy Independence Day! Thanks and regards, Mirza
Some of the (aggressive) Indians here can't digest the fact that the recent riots in UK and Oslo incident has got no culprit hailing from Pakistan...that's why they are showing or pretending to show zero IQ or common sense...why would The Olympic Torch would ever offend any religious group? Pakistan itself has produced different athletes who made their mark in Olympics. Is situation in UK any safer for the London Olympics.....Looks like the current decade will witness a change in international equilibrium....Debt crisis in USA, unprecedented spree of riots in UK, and now it seems like extremism has found a new geographic location after Oslo incident and rise of right wing and far right wing groups in Netherlands,Denmark etc....
Olympics committee is being overreacting. situation in Pakistan is not yet so bad that it cant even join in this small formality. I don't think jihadists would have bothered about this particular event. Politics should be kept out of events like Olympics.
its a hate crime.. world today is polarized and people hate each other .. there is no shortage of genuine pakistan haters
@Cautious:
Mr. Cautious,if you talk about terrorism then tell me how many countries have Pakistan invaded...did Pakistan commit a genocide in Iraq and Vietnam? If you are an Indian, then please go and check what Dr. Zakir Naik of your country says about terrorism...If killing innocents is an act of terrorism then USA is the greatest terrorist nation on the planet, and I assume Naik is saying the damn truth.....but people like you will never remove the goggles of hatred....pity ur thinking.
@saeed:
If we allow terrorists to roam freely in our midst and celebrate them too like Lal Masjid and Qadri guy then its someone else's fault? We more than anyone else should understand that getting rid of extremists among us should be our top priority while it is no priority at al at the moment.
@saeed
Somehow we seem to be left out of everything lately.
@Amir who says "The world doesnt realize how good-hearted Pakistani people are. Our only real friend is China"
That should tell you something...of all the 200 odd countries in the world, a good-hearted Pakistan has only one true friend!!! Ironic.
@fahim: "...why not bid for next Olympics then no one will be able to stop torch from entering the country" Now, that is a stretch. A country where it is not safe for the torch itself, how will Pakistan be allowed to host Olympics? If Pakistan were a part of China (which it is to all intents and purposes), China would have seen to it that the torch did pass through its colony!
@Mirza do you have any kind of shame left in you or not..you live in USA you enjoy that life. you team up with indians to ridicule pakistanis and then in the end you show up as pakistanis..we are the one who are the most horrible victims of terrorisam and you are calling us a terrorist nation..how come a terrorist nation has lost 35 thousands citizen while fighting the terrorists..are you so much inocent or do you have a mind of fox..
Shame on Olympic Committee , Those who cant handle unrest & own backyard are lecturing others.mean while for Pakistan west has only drones and no light.Shame on world its victory for terror and loss to peace. Terror -1 London - 0
Amir@ China knows well it can never expect this much generosity from any country other than Pakistan. Pakistan has given part of Kashmir to China, it has given free hand to China to build whatever it wants inside Pakistan including their bases eventhough it claims to be a souverign country. Pakistan has given a blanket approval for China to treat it as its own territory. But once Pak trained terrorists started some activities in their Uggair region Pak was forced to send the ISI chief twice in a span of a weak to calm them before it is too late.
Pakistan cannot have an enemy like the Great Britain.
another slap in the face of this humiliated nation! pity.
Amir : It is funny u called Fahim Indian, though what he has posted is closer to the truth and one will conclude he is a Pakistani from his message. But your outburst is nonsensical. Is it logical that only Indians can speak truth and Pakistanis should not. Weird,
@fahim: Hey Indian, China has just launched a satellite for Pakistan. China is building Pakistan in every sector and we have exactly the same regional goals as China. We need our Kashmir occupied by you and China needs their Anuchal Pradesh occupied by you. In today's world, China and Pakistan have exactly the same starategic interests. China has always supported Pakistan, China never harmed a Pakistani, and China has always respected our sovereignity. China was very happy to bring their Olympic torch to Pakistan when China was hoisting the Olympics, unlike these western countries who have nothing but hate for Pakistan. You keep U.S. and U.K. as your friends, being friends with them is more dangerous than being their enemies. We will keep China as our friend. We Pakistanis understand that China is not like U.S., China has always respected our sovereignity.
@MD: Your are right. It is the sad truth and Pakistanis have to understand it. We would be left alone in the world and treated as a terrorist nation. Regards, Mirza
Best they keep the torch - UK that is - will help them in their riots in burning things/people down :)
let's protest by torching effigies of the torch!
@Amir: Open your eyes and you will see that we have already become colony outpost for China decades back, just like stooges North Korea and Sudan. China controls our economy, our infrastucture, our power, our roads, our ports, our military, our technology, our foreign policy and almost everything. Its laughable what you are telling. Its tie we open our eyes and stop getting used by West or China.
Who cares, we're too busy watching Britain getting screwed to pay attention to this ;)
Why does a torch feels so insecure in Pakistan?
Well, they can use to burn London next time there is a riot.
When China hoisted the Olympics, and when the Chinese Olympic torch came to Pakistan, Pakistanis showered the Olympic torch with rose petals. The world doesnt realize how good-hearted Pakistani people are. Our only real friend is China, not these western countries who have colonized us or dream of colonizing us.
good move to encourage terrorists and please those who don't like Pakistan, some of the vicious people commented above to prove it.
What is so surprising about the news. No one visits a terrorist infested country.
That's unfortunate - but given the situation in Pakistan the decision makes sense.