LAHORE, April 7: The Indo-Pak Panj Pani theatre festival scheduled to be held on April 21 has again been delayed as many Indian actors part of festival performances have not been issued visas by the interior ministry, Ajoka Director Madeeha Gauhar told Dawn on Monday.

Ajoka now plans Ajoka Spring Festival from April 25 to 30 and the Panj-Pani festival will be held in May if the ministry issues visas to the actors left behind, Ms Gauhar said. The ministry denied visas to half of the troupe invited from across the border for the festival.

“I condemn the attitude (of ministry officials),” she said, adding the strict visa regime had forced the festival organisers first to delay it from March till April and now again till May.

She said before the Panj Pani festival, Ajoka would arrange a festival ‘Ajoka Spring Festival’ in which a new and three old plays would be staged. The festival would be organised in collaboration with the Lahore Arts Council at Alhamra from April 25 to 30.

She said at the spring festival Ajoka would present ‘Hotel Mohanjodaro’ along with three old plays, Bullah, Dushman and Kala Menda Bhais.