Several students at Quaid-i-Azam University are facing disciplinary action after receiving show-cause notices for celebrating the festival of Holi without obtaining the necessary permissions. This incident comes in the wake of a contentious letter from the Higher Education Commission (HEC), which initially criticized the celebration but later retracted the statement following public outcry.
The university accused the students of organizing and participating in the Holi festival on June 12, between 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm, without securing approval from the university or its event management committee. Despite warnings from the university’s security staff, the students continued to play loud music, causing disturbance to others.
The university administration deemed the students’ actions as a violation of public morals, potentially causing insult or physical harm to other residents of the university. Furthermore, their actions were seen as undermining the university’s authority and disrupting its operations.
The show-cause notice required the students to appear before the disciplinary committee on July 18 at 12:30 pm and provide a written response. The notice warned that failure to appear would lead the committee to make a decision based on the available evidence and records.
The notice also outlined potential penalties and punishments for the students. These include fines, loss of hostel accommodations and financial benefits, suspension of admission, temporary bans from entering the premises, cancellation of examination results, suspension for a specific period, and even expulsion. The severity of these potential consequences underscores the seriousness with which the university is treating this matter.
