Addressing a ceremony held on the occasion of the 142nd anniversary of Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal, PAT Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur has said that Allama Iqbal was a true lover of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and through his inspirational poetry, he furnished guidance to a rudderless nation. He said the universe of Allama sahib's heart was illuminated with the love of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He said Allama Iqbal described the love of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as inevitable for the perfection of one's faith and taught Muslims to demonstrate utmost love and reverence for the Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him) for the protection and stability of their faith. He said the love of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is a cornerstone of Allama Iqbal's poetry.

The ceremony was held at the central secretariat under the banner of Minhaj-ul-Quran Youth League and those present on the occasion included MYL President Mazhar Alvi, Mansoor Qasim, Hafiz Waqar, Haji Farrukh, Haroon Sani, Inam Mustafvi, Mohsin Shahzad and others.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said Iqbal's philosophy of self (Khudi) offers a way out of the slavery of every kind by empowering people with confidence in their abilities and renewing their passion to fight back. He said the Poet of the East wanted the youth to equip themselves with knowledge for the building of an honorable nation. He asked the youth to seek guidance from Iqbal's thought.

PAT Secretary General said the youth were the centre of Iqbal's philosophy and thoughts. He said Iqbal wanted that the youth must arm themselves with both modern and classical education in line with the Quranic injunction. He said in addition to contemporary sciences, the youth must dedicate themselves to the study of the religious sciences. He said our people need to strengthen themselves from ideological point of view. He suggested that the subject of Iqbaliyat should be made part of the curriculum at every level so that the youth could be made aware of his inspiring message.

Meanwhile, a delegation of PAT and MQI will visit the tomb of Allama Iqbal for Fateha. It will lay the floral wreath at the grave of Iqbal on behalf of Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri.