Karachi: The Sindh High Court has given an important verdict on a petition filed by students of Dawood Engineering University against the cancellation of their admission for celebrating Holi. The court declared the notification of cancellation of admission issued by the university administration null and void and ordered the students to be reinstated in the university.

A bench of Sindh High Court comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Muhammad Usman Hadi heard the case. The petitioners’ lawyer, Faizullah Malano Advocate, took the stand in the court that the university students celebrated Holi on February 21, after which the university administration took action against them and first issued show cause notices and later cancelled their admissions.

The lawyer further said that this move is tantamount to violation of freedom and fundamental rights of students, because the culture of any religion cannot be suppressed. During the hearing, the court declared the notification of cancellation of admission null and void and ordered the restoration of the removed information of the students on the university portal.

At the same time, the court issued notices to the Secretary of the University and Boards Department, the Vice Chancellor of Dawood University, the Registrar, the University Director IT, the Advocate General Sindh and other relevant parties. The court has ordered all the parties to submit their responses by April 30. This decision can prove to be an important precedent regarding the protection of the educational rights and freedom of students.