Pak Govt Withdraws Order Lashing Out at Students for Celebrating Holi after Backlash

The Pakistani Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Thursday rescinded a notification asking higher educations to “distance themselves from” celebrating festivals like Holi citing that it “erodes” Pakistan’s Islamic identity after facing severe national and international backlash.

“The portrayed impression and disseminated connotation that HEC has ‘banned’ celebration of any festivities is out of context to the spirit of the communication made, as HEC has emphasised upon the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country to focus upon the core reason of their existence i.e., academic excellence, research quality and harnessing the talent of the youth towards a structured, disciplined, and responsible citizen as per the nation’s ideology,” the executive director of the Pakistan Higher Education Commission, Shaista Sohail, said in a press release rescinding the previous communication.

“Considering that the message inferred from the communication has regrettably led to misinterpretations, HEC is pleased to withdraw the same,” the new notification said.

The nation’s higher education watchdog said that it remains highly respectful of all religions, faiths, and beliefs, and the associated festivals and celebrations observed in the country.

“The message communicated in this regard is in no way intended to hurt the sentiments of any individual or group,” the HEC said.

The initial communication released Tuesday asked higher education institutions to “prudently distance” themselves from acts that “portray a complete disconnect from our socio-cultural values and an erosion of the country’s Islamic identity”.

Though the HEC did not name any university, it was an indirect reference to the Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad whose Holi celebrations of March 8 went viral on Pakistani social media platforms.

While the participants were seen enjoying themselves during the festivities, the Pakistani higher education watchdog said that this “caused concern and disadvantageously affected the country’s image”.

The Pakistani political establishment faced backlash after the release of the initial notification and commentators highlighted the state of minorities and the lack of respect towards social, ethnic and religious diversity in Pakistan.

“While there is no denying the fact that cultural, ethnic, and religious diversity leads towards an inclusive and tolerant society, that profoundly respects all faiths and creeds; albeit it needs to be done so in a measured manner without going overboard,” the initial notification said.