Today is the 73rd death anniversary of our national poet, Dr Muhammad Iqbal.
ISLAMABAD: Today is the 73rd death anniversary of our national poet, Dr Muhammad Iqbal. It is unfortunate, as it is ironic, that the teachings of Iqbal have never been adhered to by our rulers. The intelligentsia of Pakistan may have applauded Iqbal’s work but they have hardly done anything to put his ideals into practice.
For instance, in one of his verses on the importance of education, Iqbal wrote: “Don’t be passive, be energetic, rise up, educate yourself and compete with the other nations of the world through devotion, dedication, concentration, application and hard work”.
We recite his poetry, renowned singers sing his verses, but we do little else with it.
Iftikhar Shaheen Mirza
Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2011.
