Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has said that South Asia can be made a base for regional peace by seeking guidance from the lofty thoughts of Allama Muhammad Iqbal.
“Affinity with thoughts of Allama Iqbal demands to make Pakistan a democratic welfare state in a real sense, which seeks solution to the problems confronting the country in light of Islamic traditions of Ijtehad,” the prime minister said in his message on the occasion of birth anniversary of the national poet and philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal being observed on Wednesday (November 9).
He said Allama Iqbal awakened and guided a nation, which had lost its destination in the darkness of slavery, and infused a spirit into the Muslims of the sub-continent to make struggle due to which they not only overcame hopelessness but also succeeded to get their destination.
The prime minister said it was Iqbal who persuaded the great Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah to lead the Muslims of South Asia, who made the impossible as possible. “Pakistan is a beneficiary of Allama Iqbal,” he added.
Nawaz Sharif said Allama Iqbal not only dreamt of Pakistan and presented a roadmap for a safe future for the Muslims of South Asia but also indicated the ideological and practical problems the new country could face.
The problems being faced today, he said, were predicted by Allama Iqbal several years ago. The vision of Allama Iqbal on sectarianism, ideological extremism and formation of new institutions was a beacon for the nation, he added.
Nawaz Sharif said Allama Iqbal had declared Parliament as a substitute of Ijm’a and advised the Muslims to form institutions with collective wisdom.
He said Allama Iqbal was in favour of taking benefit from the vision of a common man. The creation of a democratic state was at the heart of Allama Iqbal’s thoughts, he added.
“It is the time that we re-construct our political, social and economic institutions, resolve our economic problems following Iqbal’s thoughts and make Pakistan a modern Islamic democratic welfare state,” he said.
The prime minister said it was the collective responsibility of the government and the people to take guidance from Iqbal’s thoughts and contribute to the country’s development.
“For Iqbal, the division of India was a guarantee for a peaceful sub-continent as the creation of Pakistan is a great blessing which can help avoid cultural and political clashes,” he said.
-President calls for adoption of Iqbal’s teachings-
President Mamnoon Hussain has underlined the need for complete adoption of the teachings of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, which not only provide guidance to the nation in all spheres of life but also offer a solution to the problems of modern times.
He said Iqbal’s thoughts also provided the best panacea to the ills of extremism and could counter the negative propaganda against the Muslims.
In a message on the occasion of the Iqbal’s Day being celebrated on Wednesday, the President lauded the contributions of the Poet of East and the great thinker in the creation of Pakistan.
He urged the nation to fully avail Iqbal’s thoughts, thus turning the motherland and the world a beautiful place.
The President recollected the greatest services of Allama Iqbal for the revival of the nation through his powerful thoughts.
He said at that time, the Muslims in Indo-Pak Sub-continent were undergoing hard times, and on the other hand, the situation for the Muslim Ummah was neither a pleasant one.
Under such ordeals, Iqbal was the personality who steered the Muslims of the Indo-Pak Sub-continent and the whole Muslim Ummah from the darkness of haplessness through his candid analysis and poetry.
The President said the West also benefitted from Iqbal’s thoughts and acknowledged his greatest contributions for the revival of nations.
Iqbal enjoyed such the highest place and vast popularity on the basis of his broad-mindedness and sublime thinking, he added.
The President said Iqbal wanted the nation to become its redeemer itself which was practically proved by Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, ultimately leading to the creation of Pakistan.