‘Cultural festival’ on human rights begins in Karachi

The festival with a theme of 'cultural action for change' is being organized jointly by the Action aid, DASTAK, and the Interactive Resource Centre. Dr Fauzia Saeed, Khalid Ahmad, and Mohammad Waseem of the Action aid spoke at the function.

The speakers said that over 40 participants, including artists, folk singers and musicians, belonging to the Indian state of Rajasthan, who were to join the festival, could not come as they could not get visas. They said that various Indian ministries were approached, but the visas for the Indian participants could not be arranged. They said that they could not understand why the government, despite it's repeated announcements that the relations between the two neighbouring countries were fast improving, did not give the visas to the artists to participate in such annual events…