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.
HEC clarification: the Holi mute order should never have been sent out in the first place. pic.twitter.com/hB9mvowf0z
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) June 22, 2023
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”.
