(PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: While Pakistan is expected to participate in the hockey World Cup to be held in Bhubaneswar later this month, India is still considering visa applications from the Pakistani team. Pakistan had last month applied for visas for the players and support staff.

Sporting ties between the two nations have not remained immune to upheavals in the political relationship. It was evident most in recent times when Pakistan withdrew from the Junior Hockey World Cup in India in 2016, claiming delay by India in issuing visas. However, the Pakistani team had then applied for visas well after the official deadline.

Sources here said visas to the Pakistani hockey team could be issued keeping in mind the "enormity of the multilateral event". The International Hockey Federation is learnt to have requested the government to allow Pakistan to participate. Any decision though, as a source said, will be subject to approval from the highest level of the government.

The Pakistani hockey team last played in India in December 2014 when it beat India in the final of the Champions Trophy. Pakistani players were then accused of making obscene gestures to the crowd.

Pakistan had last year accused India of denying visas to their wrestlers who had qualified to participate in an Asian meet.

India had in September called off a meeting between the foreign ministers 24 hours after announcing it. The announcement was in response to a proposal for the meeting made by Pakistani PM Imran Khan in a letter to his counterpart Narendra Modi. Any dialogue between the two countries is ruled out at least until elections in India next year. Khan though recently said that he would reach out to India again after the elections.

