Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani... Pakistain's erstwhile current prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics can be awe-inspiring ...
on Saturday said that the Pak nation, even today, sought guidance from the ideas and vision of Dr Allama Mohammad Iqbal
...Iqbal was a strong proponent of Islamic civilization across the world, but specifically in India. One of the most prominent leaders of the All-India Mohammedan League, Iqbal encouraged the creation of a
state in northwestern India for Indian Mohammedansin 1930.[2] Iqbal encouraged and worked closely with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and he is known as
The Thinker of Pakistanand as
The Sage of the Ummah. He is officially recognised as the
national poetin Pakistain, while most people outside the country have never heard of him and could care less...
for its survival, advancement and improvement.
Oh, that's worked well...
He was addressing a Presidential Iqbal Awards (national and international) distribution ceremony at Aiwan-i-Iqbal here.
"Here" being Lahore...
Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, Justice Javed Iqbal and Iqbal Academy Pakistain (IAP) Vice President Dr Shahzad Qaisar were also present.Prime Minister Gilani said real and deep affiliation with Allama Iqbal had the strength to steer the nation out of all crises as Iqbal's ideology encompassed all aspects of our thinking about the past and the future.
"We, being a nation, are very lucky as we have a great leader and philosopher in Dr Allama Mohammad Iqbal, who is an institution...his writings and poetry acquaint us with the essence of life," he added.
Prime Minister Gilani said that today Pakistain was faced with numerous challenges at the national and international levels, and added "we direly need to enlighten ourselves with Iqbal's philosophy, which can maintain us as an energetic and dynamic state".
He said "the Pak nation is mature, sensitive and brave and it has always played its role in any difficulty," and added that the nation was not facing any 'real crisis' that was the repercussion of bad intention and mismanagement of some individuals or groups in the past.