Iqbal’s Vision Serves as Guiding Beacon for Nation, Say PM, President

ISLAMABAD: Top political leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari, paid glowing tributes to Allama Muhammad Iqbal on his 149th birth anniversary on Monday, emphasizing that the poet-philosopher’s message of unity and peaceful coexistence remains a vital guiding beacon for the country.

In their official messages issued to mark Iqbal Day, both leaders highlighted the enduring relevance of Iqbal’s thought in addressing contemporary socio-political and economic challenges. President Zardari underscored that Iqbal’s philosophical teachings inspired the Muslims of the subcontinent to demand self-determination, while Prime Minister Shehbaz urged the youth to adopt the poet’s message of self-reliance (Khudi) to chart a path toward national prosperity and self-sufficiency.

Commemorative events took place across the nation to mark the official public holiday, headlined by a impressive Change of Guards ceremony at Iqbal’s mausoleum in Lahore early Monday morning. Born in Sialkot in 1877, Iqbal served as Pakistan’s ideological founder, famously articulating the landmark Two-Nation Theory during his presidential address at the Muslim League’s Allahabad session in 1930, which laid the political groundwork for the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

Educational institutions, civic organizations, and state media outlets have scheduled special symposiums, literary recitals, and academic conferences throughout the week to educate the younger generation on Iqbal’s intellectual legacy and his vision for a progressive, united democratic state.