ISLAMABAD (National Times)- President Asif Ali Zardari urged young people to use inspiration from Iqbal’s poetry as a catalyst to boost the spirit of inquiry and develop critical faculties.

In a message on the occasion of 149th Iqbal Day (9 November 2026), he said, “On 149th birth anniversary of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal, I pay tribute to our national poet, whose words awakened people to their dignity, their rights and their power to shape their own destiny. Iqbal gave intellectual direction to the aspirations of the Muslims of the Subcontinent. His poetry also spoke to a wider human struggle: the pursuit of freedom, equality and a life of self-respect.”

“Iqbal envisioned a society in which wealth, privilege and inherited status would no longer determine a person’s worth or opportunities. His poetry challenged exploitation, called for the awakening of the poor and upheld the dignity of labour.

He placed ordinary people at the centre of humanity’s future. His vision of an egalitarian society calls upon us to build a Pakistan where the worker receives a fair wage, the farmer enjoys the fruits of his labour, and every child can learn and advance, regardless of family circumstances, gender or faith,” he added.

He said, “At the heart of this vision lies Khudi: the development of a confident, purposeful and responsible self. It grows through knowledge, effort, courage and strength of character.

A person conscious of his or her own dignity must also respect the dignity of others. The same principle applies to nations. National self-respect demands the capacity to make independent decisions, develop our own strengths and engage with other countries on the basis of equality and mutual respect.”

“For me, fidelity to Iqbal’s vision means building a Pakistan where no citizen’s dignity is diminished by poverty, no child’s future is limited by birth, and our nation stands among others with confidence and self-respect,” he remarked.