The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Thursday withdrew a letter expressing objections to the celebration of the Hindu festival of Holi at a university.

The HEC’s statement comes in response to the widespread criticism received nationwide after its executive director, Dr Shaista Sohail, issued a letter taking exception to the celebration of the festival in a university.

Later in the day, Salman Sufi, the head of the Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit, clarified that Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain had instructed the HEC to retract its controversial letter.

According to the HEC statement, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, issued by the Dr Sohail today, it said that the HEC was “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,” according to the HEC official.

The letter clarified that the impression that the HEC had banned any festivity was “out of context”.

“Our letter 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 emphasized upon the higher education institutions 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 letter acknowledged that the message conveyed in the communication had been subject to misinterpretation. The HEC said it was withdrawing the notification for the aforementioned reasons.

HEC asked to refrain from such acts in future: minister

During today’s session in the National Assembly, the education minister informed the Lower House that the HEC had retracted its letter, which imposed a ban on the celebration of Holi.

The minister expressed his disapproval, stating, “The HEC should not have written this letter.”

He emphasised that the founder of the nation, Quaid-i-Azam, had affirmed the freedom of every individual to practise their religion without hindrance or restriction.

The minister revealed that he personally ensured HEC officials had no respite throughout the night, compelling them to retract the letter. He added: “At 4am, I received a message from the HEC on WhatsApp, confirming the withdrawal of the letter.”

Additionally, the minister conveyed that the HEC had been cautioned against partaking in similar actions in the future. He highlighted the “unfortunate treatment faced by Muslims in India”, stating that it was a well-known fact.

Furthermore, the minister asserted that in Pakistan, all religions enjoy complete freedom and are safeguarded by the government.

Federal Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman took to Twitter and shared the latest HEC letter, expressing her opinion that the issuance of the directive to mute Holi celebrations should never have occurred in the first instance.

The HEC’s move had drawn widespread condemnation from journalists, social activists, and citizens in general, across various sections of society due to its perceived implications and impact on freedom of expression and cultural diversity.

The controversial letter

In its letter, the HEC had claimed the “widely reported/publicised” event of the celebration of Holi by the platform of a university had “caused concern and disadvantageously affected the country’s image”.

The letter had said that higher education institutions were responsible for disseminating knowledge and were essential for transforming the youth into “cultured individuals” while also creating a workforce with a skill set in accordance with the country’s needs.

It said that HEIs had the “ultimate responsibility to polish and nurture the exuberance of youth into learned, mature, and responsible citizens — ready to take on the reins of the country and play their role in nation building”.

“Public and private sector HEIs across the country are consequently relied upon to groom our youth into compassionate, discerning and refined individuals able to walk through life avoiding obvious pitfalls,” it said.

The letter had said that HEC had been formulating its policies based on the concepts “embodied in our own culture, values and traditions, thus preserving the nation’s ideology”.

“Unfortunately, it is sad to witness activities that portray a complete disconnect from our socio-cultural values and an erosion of the country’s Islamic identity. One such instance that has caused concern was the fervour exhibited in marking [the] Hindu festival of Holi.

“This widely reported/publicised event from the platform of a university has caused concern and has disadvantageously affected the country’s image,” the letter said.

While the HEC letter did not name the varsity in question, it comes days after Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad gained attention on social media for hosting an event for Holi, which took place on March 8.