PESHAWAR, Nov 18: Allama Iqbal was a statesman and scholar, and his poetry proved a beacon for the Muslims of the subcontinent.

His poetry helped the Muslims to get rid of the subjugation of the British Empire and the Hindus, and to have a separate, sovereign state of their own.

These observations were made by speakers at a special function, held here on Sunday over a week later of the 124th birth anniversary of the poet of the East, Dr Allama Mohammad Iqbal.

The function, presided over by Pervesh, the director of Swat Academy, Manglawar, was organized by the Pakistan Academy of Letters Peshawar. Urdu poet and critic Prof Taha Khan was the chief guest.

The speakers were of the view that Iqbal’s political, literary and educational contributions to the cause of the Ummah could not be oversighted. They said the poet was a staunch Muslim and true follower of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him).

They said Iqbal had loved Pathans and Afghans as courageous freedom fighters and expected them to bring the Ummah out of the darkness of backwardness and ignorance. They added that the Afghans had also loved and respected him from the core of their hearts.

Pushto was the only language into which all literary and poetry contributions of the great national poet had been translated, they said and added that Iqbal had earned world repute due to his scholastic work.

Renowned poets Sajad Babar, Masal Khan Angaar and Sahir Mustafai paid tributes to the great national poet through their Urdu, Pushto and Hindko poems.—APP