LAHORE: The 145th birth anniversary of national poet Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal was observed Wednesday all over the country with traditional zeal and enthusiasm.

A public holiday was declared across the country Wednesday on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Allama Iqbal.

A change of guard ceremony was held at Mazar-e-Iqbal in Lahore on Wednesday.

A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Navy assumed responsibility of guard from Punjab Rangers.

Pakistan Navy’s Station Commander Commodore Sajid Hussain was Chief Guest on the occasion, he offered fateha and laid floral wreath at the mausoleum.

Governor Punjab Baligh-ur-Rehman and Major General Muhammad Shahbaz Khan Garrison Commander also visited Mazar-e-Iqbal and offered fateha and laid wreaths.

Allama Muhammad Iqbal was born in Sialkot on November 9, 1877. He is also recognised as national poet, and known as Muffakir-e-Pakistan (thinker of Pakistan), Shair-e-Mashriq (poet of the east) and Hakeemul Ummat (doctor of the Muslim ummah) and is credited with sparking the pan-Islamic thought among Muslims of the subcontinent.

Allama Iqbal envisioned the idea of a separate homeland for the Muslims of subcontinent‚ which led to the creation of Pakistan in 1947.

It was Iqbal’s dream of a free state but unfortunately, he could not see the independence of Pakistan and died on April 21, 1938

Government has announced public holiday on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Allama Iqbal this year after several years.