Overview
- Pakistan observed the 148th birth anniversary of Allama Muhammad Iqbal on November 9 with nationwide ceremonies and public tributes.
- President Asif Ali Zardari urged a renewed commitment to Iqbal’s principles, citing the poet-philosopher’s role in shaping Pakistani identity and highlighting the 1930 Allahabad address.
- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government aims to provide youth with education informed by Iqbal’s ideas to build intellect, character and a stronger society.
- The Punjab Colleges Literary Society held an Iqbal Day program at its Gulberg Campus in Lahore featuring student songs, speeches, dialogues and a drama centered on selfhood and character building.
- The Turkish embassy in Islamabad hosted an event titled “Muhammad Iqbal: The Great Poet of the East,” preceded by the Yunus Emre Centre’s “Common Heroes” photo exhibition opened by Ambassador Dr. Irfan Neziroğlu and cultural figures, underscoring Turkey–Pakistan cultural ties.