ISLAMABAD, Feb 11: The Olympic torch will come to Pakistan for the first time this year, the country’s Games chief said on Monday, despite a deteriorating security situation.

The torch will come to Islamabad in April, President of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Syed Arif Hasan told reporters.

“We are privileged to announce that Islamabad is among the 22 venues selected for the Olympic torch tour ahead of the Beijing Olympics in our brother country of China,” he stated, adding the torch will arrive early on April 16 and be taken on a round of the city.

“Through this visit we want to project that ours is a peace-loving and sports-loving country,” expressed Hasan.—AFP