President, premier pay tribute to Allama Iqbal

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have reaffirmed the importance of bringing poet of the East Allama Iqbal's ideas into national life and public conduct, saying true value of his concepts lies in their application in building a just and balanced society. In a message on Iqbal Day, 21 April 2026, the president said, "Today, we pay tribute to Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the Poet of the East, a profound Muslim thinker and the visionary who gave intellectual direction to the idea of Pakistan. He was not only a great poet, but an intellectual, moral and spiritual force who guided the Muslim Ummah towards self-awareness, freedom of thought, self-respect and determined effort. At a time of decline and uncertainty, he rekindled the confidence of people and restored their belief in action and possibility." "Iqbal's thought reflects a deep engagement with both Eastern and Western traditions. He drew upon this wide intellectual inheritance to present a forward-looking vision of society rooted in justice, dignity and human potential. His work also speaks about the rise of Asia and the reawakening of societies that had long remained under external dominance, offering a perspective that continues to resonate in the present century," he added. Separately, the premier paid tribute to the poet of the East. "Allama Iqbal gave a message for self, action, faith and intellectual freedom. Allama Iqbal's thoughts gave a subdued nation awareness, self-confidence and a sense of continuous struggle," the prime minister said in his message. "In today's national and global circumstances, Allama Iqbal's message is of extraordinary importance to us. Intellectual chaos, extremism, and social intolerance require us to build our individual and collective lives in the light of Allama Iqbal's intellectual training. Allama Iqbal declared love, brotherhood, and national awareness as the goals of life," the PM said.