Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif called upon the nation to embrace the principles of Allama Muhammad Iqbal in individual and collective lives to build Pakistan as a strong, sovereign and developed country.
In a message on the death anniversary of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal observed on April 21, he said, “Today, on his death anniversary, we pay tribute to Pakistan’s ideological builder, great thinker and Poet of the East Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal.”
Iqbal was not only a poet, but was a farsighted leader who presented the concept of a separate country for the Muslims of the sub-continent, he added.
Shehbaz Sharif said Iqbal’s philosophy of selfhood and his poetry not only provided an ideological basis for the movement of Pakistan but also breathed a new spirit in the Muslims of the Indo-Pakistan sub-continent.
He said Allama Iqbal was the first thinker who, in his address of 1930 in Allahabad, presented a clear concept of a separate state for the Muslims of the sub-continent.
This ideology of his later took a practical form under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and translated in the shape of beloved country Pakistan, he said, adding Iqbal not only united the Muslims politically but also brought harmony in their thought and spirit.
He said Iqbal gave the message that Muslims, while maintaining their separate civilization, culture, and identity, should proceed on the path of progress.
The prime minister said today when Pakistan was encountering the social divide and global challenges, the teachings of Allama Iqbal were a beacon of light.
Allama Iqbal emphasized the need for acquiring knowledge, action, strong faith, and self-confidence, which today are the solution for all the problems, he stressed.
He said, “While adopting the philosophy of Allama Iqbal, we have to promote self-sufficiency, educational revolution and national solidarity.”
The philosophy of Iqbal and his poetry conveyed the way to develop an ideal society where justice, hard work and ethics were a priority, he continued.
He said Allama Iqbal always declared youth the real asset of the nation, and likened the new generation to an eagle, urging it to strive relentlessly, seek knowledge and adopt high moral values. “Iqbal was of the view that youth were the force that could end the decay of the nation and take it to new heights.”
The prime minister said that today’s youth should understand the message of Iqbal, gain modern knowledge and play an effective role in the progress of the country.
“This is the message that can take our youth towards success in every field,” he asserted.
The prime minister said, “It becomes our responsibility to turn the dreams of Iqbal into reality. We have to awaken selfhood within ourselves, and after equipping ourselves with knowledge and skills, by strengthening Pakistan through national solidarity, we have to make Pakistan a welfare state.”
“We have to empower our youth so that they can play a crucial role in the progress of the country,” he added.
“Let us make a promise that we will make Iqbal’s principles a part of our individual and collective lives and build Pakistan as a strong, sovereign and developed country. Long live Pakistan,” he concluded.