The event features athletes from the eight countries who are members of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and is due to take place for the first time in six years in Guwahati and Shillong, starting on February 5. 

Relations between India and Pakistan have been volatile since the violent partition of British India in 1947 as both countries lay claims to the Kashmir region in India’s north.

The two nations have regularly been in conflict, including in three major wars in 1947, 1965 and 1971. 

At the end of last month, Indian and Pakistani leaders Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif met in Lahore to launch a surprise peace initiative.

Tensions have since been heightened, however, after a group of gunmen stormed the Pathankot airbase in the Punjab region on January 2, killing at least seven security personnel, including former Commonwealth Shooting Championships gold medallist Fateh Singh. 

India's Foreign Ministry of India has said that Pakistan must deliver "prompt and decisive action" on the evidence provided by India of the terror attack, which suggests that the attackers were Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed militants.

It had led to fears Pakistan would boycott the South Asian Games, an event due to feature more than 2,500 athletes competing in 228 medal events in 23 sports.

A four-man delegation, led by Indian Member of Parliament Bhubaneswar Kalita and also included Indian Olympic Association secretary general Rajeev Mehta, have visited Pakistan to try to guarantee their participation. 

Mehta claimed Pakistan's participation in the Games could help improve relations between the two countries. 

Proposals to hold a cricket series between India and Pakistan this year appear to have failed.

India has not played a full bilateral Test series with Pakistan since after the terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008.

"Cricket isn’t in IOA’s domain," said Mehta. 

Syed Arif Hasan, President of the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), welcomed the visit by the Indian delegation and promised they would compete unless the Government blocked it.

Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, has already backed the POA's participation. 

The POA are planning to send a team of 440 athletes, who will compete in 20 sports. 

The South Asian Games were first held in Nepal's capital Kathmandu in 1984.

They then took place again the following year in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. 

It was supposed to be a biennial event but has been held intermittently since 1995. 

The last event took place in Dhaka six years ago.

India were supposed to stage the Games in 2012 but it has been postponed several times. 

This year's event, which is scheduled to last until February 16, is expected to be dominated by India.

At the last Games in 2010 they finished top overall with a total of 175 medals, including 90 gold.

That was more than twice as many as Pakistan, who finished second with 80 medals, 19 of them gold.