Nation observes Allama Iqbal’s birth anniversary

The 146th birth anniversary of national philosopher-poet Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal was observed with national fervour on Thursday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The poet known as Poet of the East, Allama Iqbal was born in Sialkot on November 9, 1877.

He awakened the Muslims of the Subcontinent through his universal poetry and political acumen by presenting idea of the creation of Pakistan through his historic address at Allahabad in 1930.

Allama Iqbal's address gave a clear direction and separate identity to Muslims of the Sub-Continent to achieve Pakistan.

Punjab Governor Engineer Balighur Rehman and Chief Minsiter Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi visited the Mazar-i-Iqbal on Thursday morning to pay his respects.

A simple but investiture change of guards’ ceremony was held at mausoleum of Iqbal in Lahore Thursday morning.

A smartly-turned-out contingent of Pakistan Navy assumed the responsibility of guards at the mausoleum.

علامہ اقبال نے نوجوانانِ برِصغیر اور مسلمانوں کو ایک نئی سوچ دی جس پر عمل کرتے ہوئے ہمارے آباؤاجداد نے پاکستان جیسا خوبصورت وطن حاصل کیا اور اُنکے افکار پر عمل کرکے ہم اسے عظیم ملک بنائیں گے۔#IqbalDay #9November pic.twitter.com/cGMzTXDy2v

— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) November 9, 2023

Station Commander Lahore of Pakistan Navy Commodore Sajid Hussain was the chief guest on this occasion. He laid floral wreath at mausoleum and offered prayers.

President, PM messages

President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar have paid rich tribute to Allama Iqbal on his 146th birth anniversary.

In their separate messages, they said Allama Iqbal was the great benefactor of the Muslims of sub-continent, who envisioned the idea of a separate homeland for them and later his dream was translated into reality.

President Arif Alvi in his message said Iqbal was a great thinker who imbibed in Muslims the spirit of unity, through his writings and poetry.

He said in order to make Pakistan a prosperous nation, we need to follow Allama Iqbal’s teachings on Islam and his philosophy of “Khudi” that believes in the promotion of self-respect and human dignity.

In his message on Iqbal Day, the Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar said Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal awakened the consciousness of the Muslims of the subcontinent about their basic rights which created a spirit of unity among the Muslims.

The Prime Minister said Iqbal's philosophy of Khudi is a unique transformation for humanity to achieve success in this world and hereafter.

He said Iqbal dreamed of a Pakistan a country of peace, political tolerance and brotherhood.

The Prime Minister urged the youth to play a key role in the service and development of the country with positive and progressive thinking as envisioned by Allama Muhammad Iqbal.

Punjab CM’s message

In his message on Iqbal Day, Punjab Chief Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi said that Allama Iqbal (RA) presented the ideology of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent and Quaid-e-Azam transformed his dream into a reality.

He said Allama Iqbal arose the spirit of unity among the Muslims through his poetry and inculcated in them a revolutionary spirit.

CM Mohsin Naqvi stated that Allama Iqbal imparted a lesson of self-esteem through his poetry. “Allama Iqbal holds the exalted place of an intellectual reformer and a guide. There is a dire need for us to completely adhere to Allama Iqbal’s self -esteem ideology in order to make our country prosperous,” the CM added.

He underscored that today there is a dire need to comprehend the philosophy of Allama Iqbal as it was never done before. “Time has arrived that we should unite and set aside our differences. We should work in a determined manner for the social and economic uplift of our country. We should make a pledge that we will work collectively for the progress and prosperity of our country. Today as a nation we need to reiterate our resolve to make the ideology of Allama Iqbal as our beacon light,” he added.