On April 21, the Karachi Press Club in collaboration with Karwan-e-Iqbal organized a seminar to commemorate the death anniversary of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistan’s national poet renowned as the “Poet of the East.” The seminar, titled “Iqbal and the Contemporary Era,” focused on the relevance of Iqbal’s philosophies in today’s world and the necessity to foster a deeper connection between the youth and his teachings.

The event drew a large turnout including scholars, educationists, students, and intellectuals. Dr Moinuddin Aqeel, a prominent scholar, addressed the attendees as the chief guest. He emphasized the critical need for educational institutions to effectively integrate Iqbal’s concepts into their curricula to inspire and mobilize the younger generation towards positive societal change. He highlighted the importance of Iqbal’s ideas on selfhood, purpose, and action.

From Khuzdar, Qazi Muhammad Shoaib spoke about the significance of Iqbal’s work in empowering Muslims to overcome intellectual subjugation and rediscover their identity. He stressed on the importance of promoting Iqbal’s Persian poetry to gain a comprehensive understanding of his work.

Dr Zafar Iqbal from Karwan-e-Iqbal stressed that Iqbal’s thoughts were timeless and remained profoundly relevant across different eras. He called for continued intellectual efforts to ensure that the youth remain engaged with Iqbal’s ideas.

The seminar also saw the formation of a steering committee as part of Karwan-e-Iqbal’s new formation and to involve more young people. Plans were announced for a large-scale Iqbal Conference set for November, intended to further promote Iqbal’s message through collaboration with various individuals and institutions.

The event concluded with recitations of Iqbal’s poetry by Dr Aurangzeb, Ashar Khan, and Abdul Rahim Mutaqi.