ISLAMABAD : The nation is celebrating the 143rd birth anniversary of Dr Allama Muhammmad Iqbal, the Poet of the East, with national zeal and fervour today.

Paying tribute to the poet, the prime minister tweeted: ” Iqbal’s thoughts continue to inspire & guide. ”

He also shared a short excerpt from Iranian intellectual and author Dr Ali Shariati’s article on Allama Iqbal, which reads: “He [Iqbal] is a great mystic, with a pure spirit, delivered of materiality and, at the same time, a man who respects and honors science, technological progress, and the advancement of human reason in our age.”

Earlier today, a change of guard ceremony was held at the mausoleum of Dr Allama Iqbal to mark his birth anniversary. A contingent of the Pakistan Navy assumed guard duties at the mausoleum. Pakistan Navy’s Station Commander, Commodore Naimatullah, was the chief guest.