Moot highlights Allama Iqbal’s thoughts

LAHORE: Caretaker Federal Minister of National Heritage and Culture Division Syed Jamal Shah has said that Allama Iqbal's address of Allahabad was a historic speech, which determined the goals of our freedom struggle.

He said this while addressing in the opening session of International Iqbal Conference organised by Iqbal Academy Pakistan here on Friday. A number of national and international scholars presented papers for the promotion of Iqbal's thoughts during the conference.

Syed Jamal Shah chaired the first session of conference while the special guests were Justice (retd) Nasira Iqbal and Prof Dr Baseera Ambreen. Director Iqbal Academy Pakistan Dr Abdul Rauf Rafiqi presented the welcome address while the keynote speech was delivered by Dr Waheed ud Zaman Tariq.

Treasurer Iqbal Academy Pakistan Shaukat Amin Shah, Brig (retd) Wajahat Hussain Sahi from National University of Modern Languages and Administrator Aiwan-i-Iqbal Anjum Waheed were among the guests.

Addressing the conference, Dr Waheed said that there was never before the need to get light from Iqbal's thought. Dr Baseera said that Iqbal's Mard-e-Momin was capable of facing any challenge and added Iqbal showed us a ray of hope.

Ms Nasira Iqbal said that the youth was the future of our nation. Iqbal's message has to be publicised in order to lift the youth out of despair and lead them on the path of progress. At the end of the first session, Syed Jamal Shah awarded gold medals and certificates to the winners of the National Presidential Iqbal Award.

In the second session, Iranian scholar Ms Nargis Narsingi, Lal Pasha from Afghanistan and Dr Arif Khan from Britain shed light on Iqbal's thoughts under the theme of "International Cultural Elements and New Generation".

National scholars also presented thought-provoking articles on Iqbal in the third session under the topic of "Role of new generation in national construction and thought of Iqbal".