The federal government has announced a public holiday in Pakistan on Iqbal day (November 9) to honour the contributions of a great poet and philosopher Allama Iqbal. According to the official notification issued by the cabinet division, the people of Pakistan will observe a public holiday on November 9. Iqbal Day is observed in Pakistan, annually on November 9th, to commemorate the birth anniversary of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the country’s national poet and philosopher. Born in Sialkot on November 9 in 1877, Iqbal received his early education in the traditional maktab and went to Sialkot Mission School, from where he passed his matric exams. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Government College, Lahore in 1897 and secured his Masters’s Degree two years later.

He was appointed as a lecturer of history, philosophy and English in Lahore’s Oriental College. Iqbal conceived of the idea of Pakistan and used poetry to motivate the Muslims, especially the youth of the sub-continent in their struggle against their British rulers and their demand for a separate homeland. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the dream of a separate homeland for Muslims come true and passed away on April 21, 1938. Iqbal Day serves as a reminder of Iqbal’s enduring impact on Pakistani culture, literature, and identity. His ideas continue to inspire generations, fostering national pride and unity.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan