ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf on Thursday termed the Higher Education Commission (HEC)’s letter to universities regarding Holi celebrations illegal and unconstitutional.
The speaker gave the ruling after minority as well as Muslim lawmakers expressed their concerns in the House.
In response to speeches made by Ramesh Lal and Kesoo Mal Kheeal Das and PPP MNA Shahida Rehmani, education minster Rana Tanveer Hussain told the house that last night when the matter came into his notice he took prompt action.
“The letter in question was written by HEC without taking the education ministry on board. The matter came into my notice at 10pm. I immediately directed HEC to withdraw it. After opening their office, the HEC cancelled it around 4am. Nobody has any objections regarding Holi celebrations, therefore, the controversy should now end now,” the minster said and added that the HEC had no mandate to write such a letter.
NA speaker terms HEC’s letter illegal after concerns by lawmakers
“They should keep focus on quality of education and do regulations work,” he said, adding that vice chancellors had the right to take decisions regarding any functions on campuses.
The minister said there was some uproar regarding the letter. He said in Pakistan minorities are free and protected, but in India Modi’s government had made the life of minorities miserable. The minster said in India even Muslim can’t perform Eid prayers freely, however, in Pakistan all minorities are free in accordance with Constitution.
The speaker after hearing education ministry showed his satisfaction that the controversial letter had been withdrawn. He said Constitution was every clear and its several articles such as article 20 provided full rights to minorities.
Earlier, MNA Ramesh Lal said there were some elections who had issued with Holi celebrations. “Why are you not tolerating Holi? Why ban was imposed in universities?” he said and added that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto and former prime minster Nawaz Sharif had celebrated Holi, but HEC thinks otherwise. Because of this step of writing a letter by HEC, the country’s image was tarnished across the globe.
MNA Das said in Quaid-i-Azam’s Pakistan all minorities are free to celebrate their religious festivals. He said HEC was supposed to bring improvement to the higher education sector not to write such letters.
He said Pakistan needed peace, love and culture of tolerance. Mr Das said India, instead of scandalising the letter, should take steps to give rights to its minorities.
MNA Shahida Rehmani said it was unfortunate that when Pakistan was celebrating 50th year of the Constitution the Hindu community faced such as letter issued by HEC.
She said there was no harm of celebrating Holi in educational institutions but there was serious threat to our culture and educational institutions by those who played “khoon ke holi”.
She said Mashaal Khan’s murder was a classic example in this regard.
It may be noted that the letter was written by HEC’s executive director Dr Shaista Sohail.
The letter addressed to all vice chancellors, rectors and heads of universities stated that the Hindu festival of Holi was celebrated in a university and it “caused concern and disadvantageously affected the country’s image as Pakistan has an Islamic identity”.
Meanwhile, Salman Sufi, who heads the Prime Minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit, said the education minister had asked the HEC to withdraw the letter.
The letter dated June 20 stated that higher education institutions (HEIs) were responsible for disseminating knowledge essential for transforming the youth into “cultured individuals” while also creating a workforce with a skill set in accordance with the country’s needs.
“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 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.
Although the letter did not mention the name of any institution, it was written after an event of Holi was held at Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad in March. Since then videos of the event had been circulating on social media in which students can be seen dancing.
“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 letter stated.
The letter advised universities to “prudently distance” themselves from all such activities “obviously incompatible with the country’s identity and societal values”.
Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2023
