ISLAMABAD: The management of Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) has withdrawn notices issued to several students for celebrating Holi on the campus without permission.

The decision, late on Friday night, was taken two days after the notices were issued on July 12.

According to the notices, the students were directed to appear before the university disciplinary committee on July 18.

When Dawn contacted the university management to ascertain the veracity of the notices, they sought time to respond and then issued a brief statement at night stating that all such notices have been withdrawn.

“The show cause notices … dated 12th July, 2023 issued to the students without the approval and knowledge of the competent authority, hence stands invalid,” read the statement issued on Friday night.

The notices stated that the students had participated in the Holi event on June 12 without taking prior permission from the university’s event management committee.

“Despite advise/instruction by the university security staff you refused to stop playing loud music and forcefully continue this function, which caused [an] unpleasant/uncomfortable environment for others.”

The students were accused of allowing the entry of expelled students and “anti-social elements” into the premises while indulging in actions that may have caused “insult and physical injury to the students, teachers and others”.

The notices were issued after videos of students celebrating Holi went viral on social media. Subsequently, the Higher Education Commission (HEC), on June 20, also wrote to the universities to ban Holi celebrations on campus.

The letter addressed to all vice-chancellors, rectors and heads of universities stated that the 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”.

The commission was severely censured for its letter including by the government officials.

National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf had termed the letter “illegal and unconstitutional”.

The speaker also issued a ruling after minority, as well as Muslim lawmakers, expressed concerns in the house.

Federal Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain had told the house that action had been taken over the issue.

He added the letter was written without taking the ministry on board. The speaker after hearing the education minister expressed satisfaction that the controversial letter had been withdrawn.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2023