It adds that the two stamps are 49.2cm by 30.7cm and their denomination is Rs4 each. The commemorative postal stamps will be available for sale from Saturday at all the important post offices in the country. “The first day of issue covers and leaflets are priced at Rs3 and Rs5 respectively.”

According to the press release, Allama Iqbal was a profound thinker who believed in dynamism and throughout his poetry he placed the greatest emphasis on “action” interpreting it as a “movement”. “Some of his epoch-making poems are Shikwa, Jawab-i-Shikwa, Asrar-o- Ramooz. His genius is manifest in literary masterpieces like Payame mashriq, Bang-i-Dara, Zabure Ajam, Bale Jibril, Zarb-i- Kalim and Armughan-i-Hijaz. Of all his masterpieces Javed Nama could be truly regarded as Iqbal’s magnum opus.”

Meanwhile, the National Museum of Pakistan has arranged a special exhibition to celebrate the day. Selected photographs of Iqbal will be put on display depicting various events of the great poet’s life.

Another feature of the exhibition is a selected collection of Iqbal’s letters written to Maulana Grami, Chaudhary Ghulam Rasool, Dr Mehr Sahib, Mehr Salik and Fauq Sahib. Persian poems in Iqbal’s own handwriting are also part of the show.