Report: Holi banned in Pakistan universities to ‘preserve Islamic identity’

Pakistan on Tuesday banned the celebration of Hindu festival of ‘Holi’ to check 'erosion of Islamic identity'.

The decision came after a video showing students at an Islamabad university celebrating the festival went viral. In response, the country’s Higher Education Commission issued a notification emphasising the ‘role’ of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in transforming youth, who “uphold the cultural and moral values of Islam”.

The notification has once again flared up the debate surrounding Pakistan’s “discriminatory” approach towards its minorities, an issue which has been time and again raised by the Indian government.

The United States government’s report on ‘International Religious Freedom’ published in 2022, had recommended Pakistan among the list of 12 nations, where there is a “concern for religious freedom”.