Daily Times

People celebrated 143rd birthday of Allama Iqbal, the Poet of the East, in his native city, Sialkot, on Monday with traditional zeal, enthusiasm and fervour.

It was an official local holiday in Sialkot district. A large number of the people, mostly the students of schools and colleges visited the Iqbal Manzil (the birthplace of Allama Iqbal) in Sialkot. They paid rich tributes to the great poet, philosopher. They took keen interest in the new historical pictures of Allama Iqbal and his family and books on Iqbaliyat displayed there. Iqbal Manzil was illuminated on this eve. The students sang Milli Naghmas and Kalaam-e-Iqbal there. A large number of the people was witnessed there.

Sialkot exporters also paid homage to Allama Iqbal by cutting his birthday cake there during a special birthday cake cutting ceremony hosted by Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here.

Meanwhile Usman Dar, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs and Ch Muhammad Ikhlaq, Provincial Minister for Special Education Punjab and Sialkot Deputy Commissioner Zeeshan Javaid Lashari also visited Iqbal Manzil and cut the cakes. They also highlighted the philosophy of Allama Iqbal.

An exhibition of rare books and pictures of Allama Iqbal was held at Iqbal Manzil. On the other hand, the people also visited the graves of parents and other family members of Allama Iqbal at Imam Sahab graveyard. They offered fateha and also laid floral wreaths there. The competition on Iqbal’s poetry and speeches were also held at Iqbal Manzil under the auspices of Sialkot district administration while the rallies were also taken out in Sialkot city to mark the importance of the day. Seminars were also held at local schools and colleges.