President, PM honour Allama Iqbal’s legacy

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday paid tribute to Allama Muhammad Iqbal, stressing that his ideas should be reflected in national life and public conduct and saying their real worth lies in being applied to the building of a just and balanced society.

In his message issued on Iqbal Day, observed on April 21, 2026, President Zardari described Allama Iqbal as the Poet of the East, a major Muslim thinker and the visionary who provided intellectual direction to the idea of Pakistan.

The president said Iqbal was not only an outstanding poet but also an intellectual, moral and spiritual force who guided the Muslim Ummah towards self-awareness, freedom of thought, self-respect and determined effort. He said that at a time marked by decline and uncertainty, Iqbal revived people’s confidence and renewed their belief in action and possibility.

"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," he said in a statement released on the occasion.

President Zardari further said Iqbal’s thought showed deep engagement with both Eastern and Western traditions. He said the poet drew on this broad intellectual inheritance to present a forward-looking vision of society based on justice, dignity and human potential.

According to the president, Iqbal’s work also addressed the rise of Asia and the reawakening of societies that had long remained under external dominance, offering a perspective that continues to hold relevance in the present century.

"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 said.

Prime minister’s message

In a separate message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also paid tribute to Allama Iqbal and highlighted the continuing relevance of his teachings in present-day conditions.

The prime minister said Allama Iqbal gave a message centred on selfhood, action, faith and intellectual freedom. He said Iqbal’s ideas gave a subdued nation awareness, self-confidence and a sense of continuous struggle. "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," Shehbaz said.

He said that in current national and global circumstances, Iqbal’s message carried extraordinary importance. He said intellectual chaos, extremism and social intolerance required people to shape their individual and collective lives in the light of Allama Iqbal’s intellectual training.

The prime minister added that Allama Iqbal had declared love, brotherhood and national awareness as the goals of life. "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."

Both leaders, in their separate messages, underlined the importance of translating Iqbal’s thought into practical conduct in order to help shape a fair and balanced society.