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Centre not opposed to India vs Pakistan Davis Cup matches in Islamabad: Kiren Rijiju

India had asked for the matches to be shifted to a neutral venue because of tensions in Pakistan over Kashmir.

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The government will not stop the Indian tennis team from representing the country in the Davis Cup qualifying round against Pakistan at Islamabad, Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has said. His comment comes even as India tried to get the venue changed to a neutral one, and Pakistan's refusal to agree to such a request.

"Any bilateral match with Pakistan will have to get the clearance from the government. But if it is a multilateral event organised by international bodies then we can't take our own isolated stand," Rijiju was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The statement was a reiteration of the government's policy on suspending all bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan, but not extending the same to multilateral international sporting events. This was the same policy that sees India and Pakistan play cricket against each other only at ICC tournaments.

The All India Tennis Association (AITA) had been preparing to send the Indian team to Pakistan even as it appealed to the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to move the rubber to a neutral venue due to the tense atmosphere in Pakistan because of India's decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir's autonomous status.

The Pakistan Tennis Federation had ruled out shifting the matches to a neutral venue. However, it is a point to note that all of Pakistan's matches had till recently been held at neutral venues because teams from other countries had refused to travel there because of terrorism and security concerns.

The qualifying round for Group 1 of Asia/Oceania has seen India slotted to play Pakistan at the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad on September 14 and 15. The Indian team is to be led by captain Mahesh Bhupati, with the nominated players including Rohan Boppanna, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Divij Sharan and Saket Myneni. Pakistan is yet to announce its team.

India suspended bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which were launched by terrorists and their organisations that are hosted and supported by the Pakistani establishment.

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