Federal Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi on Monday paid tribute to national poet and philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal on his 149th birth anniversary, highlighting his message of self-respect, awareness, unity and action.
He said Iqbal’s teachings remained relevant and needed to be followed to build a strong and welfare-oriented Pakistan.
In his message, Naqvi said Allama Iqbal had given the Muslim Ummah a lasting message of selfhood, awakening and action. He said the nation needed to follow these teachings in its individual and collective lives.
The interior minister said Iqbal’s poetry was a legacy of knowledge and thought, rooted in self-respect, dignity and national pride. Through his poetry, Iqbal awakened the spirit of selfhood among Muslims and made them aware of their purpose.
Naqvi said Iqbal had presented the idea of a separate state for the Muslims of the subcontinent in his Allahabad address. The concept became a reality within a few years, he added.
He said Iqbal’s ideas continued to guide the nation and provided the foundation for building a strong and welfare-oriented Pakistan.
The minister said Iqbal considered young people the country’s most important asset, believing that they had the ability to change the course of history. He said the poet had taught Muslims that slavery was not their destiny but a form of weakness that could be overcome through self-respect and action.
Naqvi said Iqbal’s poetry carried a lasting message of selfhood, action and intellectual thought. He added that the poet’s message of unity and self-respect had become particularly important at a time when Muslims were facing divisions and internal differences.
The interior minister stressed the need to shape individual and collective lives in the light of Allama Iqbal’s intellectual teachings.
He called for making Iqbal’s thoughts part of the country’s national policies and collective approach, urging the nation to renew its commitment to following the principles set out by the poet.
Naqvi said Iqbal’s message of selfhood, unity, awareness and action should guide the nation in its efforts to build a strong Pakistan.
