Iqbal Day: President Zardari Urges Youth to Draw Inspiration From Iqbal’s Poetry to Build a Spirit of Inquiry
Islamabad, The Gulf Observer: President Asif Ali Zardari has urged young people to draw inspiration from the poetry of Allama Muhammad Iqbal to strengthen their spirit of inquiry and develop their critical faculties. He made the call in his message on the occasion of the 149th Iqbal Day, observed on November 9, 2026.
“On 149th birth anniversary of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal, I pay tribute to our national poet, whose words awakened people to their dignity, their rights and their power to shape their own destiny,” the President said. He noted that Iqbal gave intellectual direction to the aspirations of the Muslims of the Subcontinent, and that his poetry also spoke to a wider human struggle for freedom, equality and a life of self-respect.
Iqbal’s Vision of an Egalitarian Society
President Zardari said Iqbal envisioned a society in which wealth, privilege and inherited status would no longer determine a person’s worth or opportunities. Iqbal’s poetry, he noted, challenged exploitation, called for the awakening of the poor and upheld the dignity of labour, placing ordinary people at the centre of humanity’s future.
“His vision of an egalitarian society calls upon us to build a Pakistan where the worker receives a fair wage, the farmer enjoys the fruits of his labour, and every child can learn and advance, regardless of family circumstances, gender or faith,” he said.
Khudi at the Heart of Iqbal’s Message
The President said that at the heart of this vision lies Khudi: the development of a confident, purposeful and responsible self, which grows through knowledge, effort, courage and strength of character.
“A person conscious of his or her own dignity must also respect the dignity of others. The same principle applies to nations,” he said. National self-respect, he added, demands the capacity to make independent decisions, develop one’s own strengths and engage with other countries on the basis of equality and mutual respect.
“For me, fidelity to Iqbal’s vision means building a Pakistan where no citizen’s dignity is diminished by poverty, no child’s future is limited by birth, and our nation stands among others with confidence and self-respect,” he remarked.
Iqbal’s Message of Asia’s Awakening
President Zardari noted that Iqbal’s poetry also carried a powerful message of Asia’s awakening. Iqbal urged its peoples to overcome subjugation, recover their confidence and shape their own future. As the world looks towards the dawn of an Asian century, he said, this message acquires renewed significance.
The promise of that century, the President said, must go beyond economic growth to include freedom from hunger, access to knowledge and opportunity, and respect for the sovereignty of nations. “Pakistan must help realise this promise through education, scientific progress, regional cooperation and peace,” he said.
Honouring a Democratic Tradition
The President said the struggle for the empowerment of ordinary people has continued throughout Pakistan’s political history. He recalled that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto gave voice to those denied influence and opportunity, affirming their right to take part in national life. “We honour that democratic tradition by strengthening institutions, protecting equal citizenship and ensuring that development improves the lives of the many,” he said.
Concluding his message, President Zardari said: “On this Iqbal Day, let us translate Khudi into confidence rooted in knowledge, national self-respect into hard work to transform Pakistan into a developed and strong nation, and the ideal of equality into justice in everyday life. This is how we can honour Iqbal and fulfil the promise of Pakistan.”
