ISLAMABAD, Nov 8: The nation will celebrate the 125th birth anniversary of great poet philosopher Allama Dr Mohammad Iqbal on Saturday in a befitting manner.

It will be a closed holiday throughout the country and the national flag will be hoisted atop all principal government buildings.

Pakistan Television and Radio Pakistan will present special programmes on the life and ideas of Allama Iqbal.

The Mazar of Allama Iqbal, Iqbal Museum (old Javed Manzil), Iqbal Academy (MacLeod Road) Lahore and Iqbal Manzil Sialkot, will be illuminated and ceremonial guards will be mounted on the Mazar.

Special exhibition of books and relics of Allama Iqbal will also be held at Iqbal Museum, Lahore, National Museum, Karachi, and Iqbal Manzil, Sialkot.

Documentary films on the life of Allama Iqbal will be shown in cinema houses.

Pakistan National Council of the Arts has planned to celebrate Iqbal Week. A folk mela is also being organized at the Institute of Folk Heritage, Islamabad.

The government had announced that 2002 would be celebrated as “Iqbal Year,” and the celebrations launched at a function on Nov 9, 2001, would culminate on Saturday (Nov 9, 2002) on the eve of 125th anniversary of Allama Iqbal.

Throughout the year different governmental and non-governmental organization had been busy in arranging a variety of programmes.

Renowned scholars, poets, historians, educationists and people belonging to other walks of life have been highlighting the teaching and philosophy of the Poet of the East.

Declaring 2002 as “Iqbal Year” was aimed at teaching Iqbal’s thoughts and conveying his message to other parts of the world. —APP