LAHORE, NOV 09 (DNA) – Pakistani philosopher poet and the conceiver of the idea of Pakistan, Muhammad Iqbal’s (Allama Iqbal) 140th birth anniversary is being celebrated on Thursday with enthusiasm.

Various literary, educational, political, social and cultural organisations have arranged special programmes, across the country, to pay homage to the national poet.

Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while speaking on the occasion, said, “We have read Iqbal’s poetry for 70 years, given speeches, but have the common people been given any facilities of any sort?”

He further added that not much has been done for transparency and eradication of poverty.

A change of guards’ ceremony was held at the mausoleum while a contingent of Pakistan Navy took guard duties from Punjab Rangers to mark Iqbal’s birth anniversary.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, in his message on Iqbal Day, said Allama Iqbal was the one who initially presented the idea of an empowered nation.

Iqbal showed the right path to the people of the subcontinent with his dream of a strong nation, Abbasi added.Federal Minister for Interior Affairs Ahsan Iqbal posted a tweet, stating that the poet always wrote about hard work which should be of utmost priority for everyone.