Pakistan marked Iqbal Day on Monday 9 November, the 149th birth anniversary of national poet and philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal, with the president and prime minister paying tribute and the government launching a year-long programme of events leading to his 150th birth anniversary next year.

A change of guards ceremony was held at Iqbal's mausoleum in Lahore on Monday morning, as reported by Radio Pakistan, and tributes were paid at ceremonies across the country. The president and prime minister both used their messages to link Iqbal's thinking to the challenges Pakistan faces today, with Zardari stressing equality among citizens and Shehbaz stressing unity and peaceful coexistence.

Zardari: equality at the heart of Iqbal's message

President Asif Ali Zardari said Iqbal envisioned a society where wealth, privilege and inherited status would not determine a person's worth or opportunities. In his message on the anniversary, he said the national poet's words awakened a people to their dignity, their rights and their power to shape their own destiny.

The president urged young people to draw inspiration from Iqbal's poetry and to use it as a spur to inquiry and critical thinking.

Shehbaz launches year of events to 2027

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government would begin the year-long commemoration of the 149th birth anniversary on 9 November, culminating on 9 November 2027, the day of Iqbal's 150th birth anniversary.

He said a comprehensive programme of national and international events was being formally launched, featuring international conferences, academic and research seminars, literary festivals, exhibitions, educational competitions and cultural activities.

Shehbaz said Iqbal, as a distinguished philosopher of Islam, explored the intellectual dimensions of Islamic teachings, and that his message of unity and peaceful coexistence continued to serve as a guiding beacon for the country.

Iqbal was born on 9 November 1877 in Sialkot. His poetry and philosophy played a central part in awakening political consciousness among the Muslims of the subcontinent and in inspiring the Pakistan Movement. Iqbal Day is observed every year on 9 November to honour that legacy.

Government offices, educational institutions and banks were closed for the holiday, with normal activities resuming on Tuesday 10 November. The year-long programme announced by the prime minister means Iqbal's life and work will be marked in events across Pakistan and abroad over the coming twelve months, ending on the 150th anniversary of his birth. Schools, universities and cultural bodies are expected to take part in the commemorations.