Zubair Qureshi
Writers, thinkers and scholars during an interactive session held to pay tributes to Allama Mohammad Iqbal on the eve of the Youm-e-Iqbal called upon the government to include Iqbal’s poetry and thoughts in curriculum and introduce Iqbal to the youths to broaden their vision and to make them learn about Pakistan ideology.
The programme titled “Asr-e-Hazir main Fikr-e-Iqbal ki Ma’nawiyyat” (Rationale of Iqbal’s message in the Contemporary Age) was organized by the Nazriya Pakistan Council (NPC) held at the Aiwan-e-Quaid. Chairman of the NPC, Dr Naeem Ghani, Vice Chairman Mian Muhammad Javed, Professor of Iqbaliyat and Prof Ayub Sabir addressed on the occasion.
Members of the NPC Executive Committee Abdullah Yousuf, Mrs Qamar Aftab, poet Wafa Chishti, Prof Nasir Ali Nasir, Dr Farhat Abbas, Ali Ahmed Qamar, Prof Sabeen Younas, Saeed Chishti and Irfan Khan also attended the session and paid rich tributes to Iqbal, his philosophy and ‘tasawwar-e-khudi.’
Prof Dr Ayub Sabir who is considered an authority on Iqbal in his lecture said Iqbal had set before himself future course of action and that he had done in the light of the past. He referred to a number of predictions Iqbal had made during his lifetime, however, he called for utilizing Iqbal’s message to awaken the youth.
He also called for making Iqbal’s poems and thoughts part of the syllabus. Iqbal had foreseen the Muslims living in un-partitioned India could not live in harmony with the Hindus and had dreamt of a ‘piece of land where the Muslims of India could live as a sovereign nation.’For that he is called Scholar of the East who dreamt of Pakistan, said Prof Ayub Sabir.
In his presidential address, Dr Naeem Ghani said Iqbal calls upon the Muslims of the sub-continent to realize glorious past of their ancestors and his concept of “Khudi” urges them to live a sublime life that is full of passion and compassion. This concept, said Dr Naeem Ghani also helps man understand and come near Almighty.
Senior Vice Chairman of the NPC Mian Muhammad Javed said such conferences, interactive sessions and ceremonies serve as a medium to known and understand the vision, poetry and philosophy of Allama Iqbal.
We need to return to Iqbal and his philosophy to resolve the questions of our identity, our place in the universe and our relation with Almighty as well as the fellow human beings, said senior Vice Chairman Mian Javed.
Director Media of the NPC Anjum Khaliq conducted the proceedings of the programme. On the occasion, poets also presented Kalam-e-Iqbal and drew the attention of the audience to Iqbal’s universal message of peace, brotherhood and ‘khudi.’
