Why Is India Rolling Out The Red Carpet For Pakistan Hockey Team After Pahalgam Bloodbath?

In April this year, India was left shaken by the blood-curdling Pahalgam terror attack that took the lives of 26 innocent tourists. The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow proxy of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility for the massacre. The shock was still fresh when India retaliated with Operation Sindoor, a precise and punitive strike targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The message was loud and clear - India would no longer tolerate terrorism emanating from across the border.

And yet, less than three months later, Pakistan's national hockey team is reportedly being welcomed to Indian soil to participate in two prestigious events: the Asia Cup in Rajgir (August 27–September 7) and the Junior World Cup in Chennai and Madurai (November 28–December 10).

Why?

The Olympic Charter vs National Grief: A Question of Priorities

According to a PTI report quoting a source, the Indian sports ministry defended the move stating that preventing Pakistan from participating in a multi-lateral sporting event would be a violation of the Olympic Charter - a foundational document that emphasizes sport as a tool for international peace.

But how does one balance such idealism with the reality of state-sponsored terror? How does one justify shaking hands on the hockey field while still counting the dead from Pahalgam?

“We are not against any team competing in India in a multi-national competition. If we try to stop Pakistan it would be seen as a violation of the Olympic Charter. Likewise, we will also show up for any multi-national event that features Pakistan. But bilateral is different and there will be no relaxation on that front,” the ministry source told reporters.

The statement, though technically in line with international sporting obligations, has left many wondering: Should India uphold a sporting charter when its adversary routinely violates the international charter of peace?

'Operation Sindoor' and the Message of Resolve

India's response to the Pahalgam attack was not one of silence or submission. Operation Sindoor was a bold military message - targeting terrorist camps in Pakistan and PoK with surgical precision. The world took notice. The United Nations Security Council condemned the attack and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. The Quad - comprising India, the US, Japan, and Australia - issued a strongly worded joint statement holding Pakistan-backed terror groups accountable.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar stated unequivocally that“India will act against the perpetrators, the supporters, the financiers, and the enablers of terrorism.”

And yet, in the shadow of this determination, India is reportedly preparing to roll out the red carpet for Pakistan's hockey players - the representatives of a country that still harbours, funds, and protects the very organisations responsible for Pahalgam.

The Hypocrisy of the Playing Field

In a telling comparison, the source from the sports ministry told PTI,“International sports demands that we cannot back out from competing in multi-national competitions. Take for instance, Russia and Ukraine, they are at war but they show up at multi-national events and compete as well. That's the norm and we are respecting these norms.” 

But that analogy falls flat when you consider the moral difference. Ukraine didn't start the war - Pakistan has been waging a shadow war against India for decades, from Mumbai 2008 to Pulwama 2019 to Pahalgam 2025.

Should sport be immune to politics when politics kills?

Hockey India welcomed the ministry's decision.“We will abide by whatever the government decides,” said HI secretary general Bhola Nath Singh. But there's no escaping the dissonance. While the nation mourns and soldiers sacrifice their lives guarding the border, the men in green - sporting the crescent and star - will march into Indian stadiums and play under floodlights.

What message does this send to the families of the 26 murdered tourists in Pahalgam?

Is This a Missed Opportunity for Sporting Sanctions?

India has often taken the moral high ground by choosing not to engage in bilateral sporting ties with Pakistan since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. That stand remains intact, but in the current climate, it is fair to ask: Should India have gone one step further?

Was this a chance to send a stronger global message? A refusal to play host could have sparked a meaningful global debate, perhaps even forced the International Olympic Committee to review its stance on nations that sponsor terror.

Sport is meant to unify. But when one side plays by the rules and the other fires bullets at tourists, the game is no longer fair.

By allowing Pakistan's hockey teams to enter Indian soil mere months after a terrorist massacre, India may be honouring international sporting obligations - but it risks dishonouring its own fallen. The global community, led by the UN and the Quad, has acknowledged Pakistan's culpability. Shouldn't India then draw a firmer line in the sand?

The decision to let Pakistan participate in India-hosted tournaments might be legally correct. But morally, politically, and emotionally - it feels like a betrayal. The Olympic Charter speaks of peace, unity, and fair play. But Pakistan, with its long record of exporting terror, is hardly a torchbearer of those ideals.

By extending a hand in sport while our enemies plot in silence, are we really winning hearts and minds - or simply being played on our own turf?

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