Pakistan marks 147th birth anniversary of national poet Iqbal

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistanis on Saturday celebrated the 147th birth anniversary of national poet Allama Mohammad Iqbal.

Apart from the government, different social and literary organizations held seminars, exhibitions, and conferences to honor Iqbal.

Early morning, an impressive Change of Guards ceremony was also held at Iqbal mausoleum in Lahore where a smartly turned-out contingent of Pakistan Navy assumed the security charge of the mausoleum from the Punjab Rangers, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.

In his message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the national poet and said the visionary poet-philosopher deeply influenced the course of the nation.

"Iqbal’s philosophy ignited the dream of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent, leading to the creation of Pakistan. His teachings on self-reliance, self-awareness, and unity remain a source of inspiration for us to strive for progress and prosperity as a nation," Sharif said in a statement.

Born on Nov. 9, 1877, in the northeastern Sialkot city, located some 139 kilometers (89 miles) from Lahore, the capital of northeastern Punjab province, Iqbal is called "Mufakkir-e-Pakistan" -- or the inceptor of Pakistan -- as he conceived the concept of a separate homeland for the Muslims of then United India.

Iqbal died on April 21, 1938, in Lahore.