There is growing speculation among the masses about the national public holiday for Iqbal Day, scheduled for Thursday, November 9, 2023, in honor of Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, Pakistan’s national poet and philosopher.
This speculation has been fueled by past events where the holiday was canceled in 2015, only to be reinstated in 2022.
Late last year, in December, the Cabinet Division unveiled the official list of public holidays for the year 2023, which confirmed that Iqbal Day on Thursday would indeed be a public holiday throughout Pakistan. Unless, there’s a last minute change, next Thursday should be a holiday throughout the country.
Iqbal Day is an annual occasion celebrated with great national enthusiasm and devotion.
It is a day when school students, in particular, pay homage to the national poet in various ways, including creating Iqbal Day-themed charts, delivering speeches, and reciting his poetry.
The main objective of this commemoration is to underscore the significance of Iqbal’s legacy and acknowledge his pivotal role as an inspiration behind the idea of the Pakistan movement among the Muslim population of the Indian Subcontinent.
