On Friday, November 9, Pakistan Embassy College Beijing (PECB) held a very special function to mark the 135th birth anniversary of the renowned Pakistani poet, Allama Muhammad Iqbal.
Allama Muhammad Iqbal, born on November 9, 1877 was a philosopher, poet, and politician who inspired the Pakistan Movement, the movement to create a Muslim state independent from Britain and India. The Pakistan government officially named him a national poet and he was known as the Thinker of Pakistan. To honor his memory, his birthday was made a public holiday in Pakistan.
This year, PECB invited several guests, among which were students of the Urdu departments of Peking University, and Foreign Studies University. The renowned Urdu expert, Zhang Shixuan, known to Pakistanis as Intikhab Alam, was also present as a very special guest.
Several talented students of PECB, Peking University, and Foreign Studies University delivered speeches related to Iqbal and performed a couple of brilliant performances based on his poems. Intikhab Alam, the chief guest, also presented one of his poems in which he praised Iqbal very highly.
In the end, students of PECB were encouraged to devote their energies to the quest for knowledge and socio-economic development of Pakistan. Principal of PECB, Mrs Shagufta Saqib Ansari, also said that the aim of this event was to introduce Iqbal to the new generation. She thanked the students and the guests for their participation in this event, which provided insight into Pakistan’s history and culture.
Jun Wei Loh, 15, is the beijingkids student correspondent for the Pakistan Embassy College of Beijing. She is from Malaysia and is currently doing her O Levels at PECB. Although her favorite subjects are math and physics, she enjoys writing articles and is part of the newsletter editing team in her school. She is also attempting to write a novel and hopes to publish it one day. Her hobbies change from day to day depending on what mood she is in. The three things she wanted to try out one day are: parachuting, bungee jumping and piloting a plane.
Photos by Muhammad Shahzad Khan,courtesy of PECB
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