NEW DELHI, Jan 13: Two Pakistani theatre groups scheduled to stage plays in Delhi and Lucknow were told by the Indian government to pack up in view of unspecified risks they faced.

The move appeared to be unrelated to Home Minister P.

Chidambaram’s threat to snap trade and travel ties with Pakistan if Islamabad fails to act soon against alleged collaborators of the Mumbai carnage, but had a similar effect as the measures he envisaged.

The steps against the progressive theatre groups -- Ajoka and Tehrik-e-Niswan -- that aimed to promote peace between the two countries brought sharp criticism from Indian cultural activists.

Mr Chidambaram accused Islamabad of doing nothing to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks.

“Islamabad has provided “nothing” so far after New Delhi handed over a dossier of evidence linking elements within that country to the Mumbai terror attacks of Nov 26,” Press Trust of India quoted the home minister as telling The Times.

Asked what Pakistan was doing to help with the investigation, Mr Chidambaram said: “Zero. What have they provided? Nothing.”

He told the London daily: “There are many, many links between India and Pakistan, and if Pakistan does not cooperate and does not help to bring the perpetrators to heel, those ties will become weaker and weaker and one day snap. Why would we entertain Pakistani business people? Why would we entertain tourists in India? Why would we send tourists there?”

Mr Chidambaram declined to discuss when such measures might be introduced, but said: “We need cooperation soon.”