Ankara University Turkiye & GCU Lahore delegation visited Iqbal Academy Pakistan & Aiwan e Iqbal

A delegation from Ankara University Turkiye & GC University, Lahore visited Iqbal Academy Pakistan & Aiwan e Iqbal Complex Lahore. Dr. Aykut Kashmir, Dr. Dawood Shehbaz from Ankara University Turkey & Dr. Naseema Rehman, Chairperson Urdu Department, GC University and Dr. Syed Safeer Haider, along with students. Mr. Anjum Waheed, Director, Iqbal Academy Pakistan welcomed the delegation and presented bouquets to the distinguished guests. Mr. Fahim Arshed led them to a guided tour of Iqbal’s portrait & picture galleries to the delegation. An academic session presided by Mr. Anjum Waheed, Director Iqbal Academy Pakistan, was also organized. Mr. Muhammad Numan Chishti delivered the welcome speech. Dr. Aykot Kashmir said that more attention is paid to Iqbal's Persian poetry in Turkey. Most of Iqbal's message is for the young generation. Moreover, Iqbal Day is celebrated every year in Konya University, Turkey, with celebrations lasting more than two weeks. The message fo Allama Muhammad Iqbal can be helpful in strengthening the friendship between the two countries. Dr. Shahbaz Dawood said that a lot of work has been done on Allama Muhammad Iqbal in Turkey and Pakistan. Now it is necessary to look at the text of Allama Muhammad Iqbal in a contemporary context and revise the translation and re-write the interpretation. For which the Iqbal scholars of both countries should be contacted.
Mr. Anjum Waheed said that Allama Muhammad Iqbal considered Maulana Rum as his mentor. Very few works on Maulana Rum available in Pakistan. To update Iqbal Academy’s library on Maulana Rome's works, his two-volume bibliography should be available in Pakistan, which is possible only with the support of the Turkish government. Mr. Muhammad Numan Chishti told the delegation that the Academy has been publishing the journal “Iqbal Review” in Turkish language, but it was discontinued. We are interested to revive this practice. Dr. Naseema Rehman said that the relations between Pakistan and Turkey at the state level are very old. At literary level, the communication between the academic institutions of the two countries should be further increased, which will make it easier to understand the culture and literature of other countries. Turkey was the focus and center of Iqbal's poetry from 1910 to 1922.
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Anjum Waheed presented the books of the Academy to the teachers of Ankara University and GCU. Dr. Syed Sefeer Haider, Chaudhary Fahim Arshed, Mr. Muhammad Ishaq Bashir, Malik Asad Hanif and students of GC University were also present on this occasion.