Pakistan will not withdraw from the hockey World Cup in India, Federal Sports Minister Ijaz Hussain Jakhrani said on Thursday.

Jakhrani made it clear that Pakistan will not withdraw from the World Cup despite the outrage in the country over the "humiliating" treatment meted out to its cricketers in the Indian Premier League auction.

Jakhrani said it would not be possible for Pakistan to boycott the World Cup as it was an International Hockey Federation event and not related to India.

"Withdraw hockey team from WC"

Former Pakistan cricket captain Zaheer Abbas had suggested the idea of Pakistan boycotting the World Cup as a response to the snub given to Pakistani cricketers at the IPL auction in Mumbai.

Abbas' idea has been backed by some other former players and government officials as well.

But Jakhrani said it would be better if the hockey team played in the World Cup.

"I would tell the players to go there and play their hearts out and try to win the World Cup for Pakistan. It would be a befitting answer to the Indians that we don't mix politics with sports," Jakhrani said.

But Jakhrani said he would be discussing sporting ties with India during a meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board and Pakistan Olympic Association officials in Lahore on Friday.

"There is no doubt that our players should not have been treated the way they were in the IPL auction. It appears to be preplanned by the IPL and it has rightly resulted in strong reaction in our country," Jakhrani said.

Jakhrani said Pakistan was due to play international cricket events like the Twenty20 World Cup and the 2011 World Cup over the next 13 months and this would be discussed as well on Friday.

"We will review our policy on sporting ties with India but generally our government does not believe in mixing politics and sports. And I think we need to behave in a dignified manner and give a dignified response to what happened at the IPL," he said.

Jakhrani called on the Indian government to at least look into the reasons behind franchises decision to not buy any of the 11 Pakistani players at the auction.

"I think if the Indian government says it can't interfere in IPL affairs as it is a private organization then it should at least find out why our players were humiliated in this fashion," he said.