Iqbal Day is a working day: interior ministry

ISLAMABAD: Dismissing the media reports, the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday elucidated that November 9, Iqbal Day, has been declared a normal working day.

A spokesperson of the ministry said, “No notification has been issued by the interior ministry in this regard.”

Addressing a session of the National Assembly Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi has said, “Vision of Naya Pakistan is to work 24/7.”

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan and his federal cabinet had not taken a day off since taking charge of the government.

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Muhammad Iqbal was born in Sialkot, Punjab, on November 9 in 1877 AD. He 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 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.

People from cross sections of the society will visit to the birth place of Allama Muhammad Iqbal in Sialkot on Friday and his last abode in Lahore to pay tribute to the great poet and philosopher. Seminars will be held across the country to highlight the poet’s contributions towards the creation of Pakistan.