Reclaiming Iqbal’s vision

Allama Muhammad Iqbal, poet–philosopher, jurist and one of the most original Muslim thinkers of the 20th century, remains a towering guide for nations seeking moral and economic renaissance. For Iqbal, progress was never a matter of material accumulation alone; it was the unfolding of human potential and the strengthening of collective dignity. He saw poverty as more than economic deprivation; he saw it as a condition that corrodes the self, suppresses creativity and weakens the spirit.

In ‘Ilmul Iqtisad’, his early Urdu treatise on economics, Iqbal argues that economic strength depends upon intellectual courage and moral purpose. He believed that the decline of nations begins when they lose their capacity for inquiry and their belief in their own creative mission. More than a century later, Pakistan’s moment of reckoning echoes this insight: our crisis is not only fiscal but civilizational.

Pakistan faces significant challenges – fiscal stress, debt overhang, low productivity and institutional inertia. Yet the deeper challenge is a crisis of confidence: a collective loss of belief in our own agency. We are a young nation – among the youngest in the world – with a youth cohort exceeding 140 million. Yet too many of our young stand suspended between aspiration and disillusionment.

To move forward, we must reclaim what Iqbal called ‘khudi’: a disciplined, responsible, and creative selfhood driven by purpose and rooted in moral autonomy. Khudi is not egoism; it is self-respect and self-transformation. It is the belief that human beings have the power to reshape their destiny through effort, courage and conviction. 

Iqbal’s intellectual brilliance lies in his ability to engage the modern world without losing his identity. His dialogue with Kant taught him moral autonomy; with Nietzsche, the courage to affirm life; with Bergson, the idea of creative evolution. But Iqbal did not imitate these thinkers – he challenged them, absorbed them and wove them into a vision anchored in Islamic spirituality and human unity.

His approach offers a model for Pakistan today. We must neither freeze ourselves in rigid traditions nor surrender to imported technocratic models. We must instead embrace a framework that is ethical, evidence-based, future-oriented and authentically our own. This intellectual courage is essential as Pakistan navigates a world shaped by disruptive technologies, shifting geopolitics and rapid social change.

Our challenge is not economic alone; it concerns the moral energy with which this young nation defines its purpose. Iqbal’s universal humanism – his belief that every individual carries an infinite creative spark – remains the foundation of an inclusive society. In a deeply diverse and plural Pakistan, unity must not erase difference; it must celebrate it. Development must reach all: every region, every class, every gender and every community. Justice is not the by-product of development; it is its moral compass.

It is on this ethical foundation that URAAN Pakistan has been conceived. URAAN is not a slogan or a list of projects – it is a paradigm for purposeful development. It begins with people, not infrastructure. It recognises that the true measure of progress is the expansion of the moral and material capabilities of citizens. 

URAAN aims to equip youth with future skills, build a digital and innovation-driven economy, reform institutions for efficiency and empathy, strengthen public–private partnerships and anchor policy in equity, sustainability and inclusion. The core idea is simple yet transformative: economic revival must be intertwined with ethical renewal. Without moral purpose, development is directionless; without economic strength, purpose remains unfulfilled.

Iqbal’s symbol of the Shaheen holds a special power for Pakistan today. The Shaheen is not merely a poetic creature; it is an educational ideal and a model for national character. It represents independence of thought, strength of will, passion for discovery, discipline and dignity, and freedom from fear and dependence. In Bal-e-Jibril, Iqbal writes: “You are a falcon; flight is your vocation./ Beyond the skies you see lie skies yet unseen”. 

For a country with one of the world’s largest youth populations, this is a call to awaken imagination and ambition. The youth bulge is Pakistan’s greatest asset – if empowered with knowledge, skills and purpose. If neglected, it becomes a source of frustration. Iqbal’s Shaheen does not chase comfort; it seeks height. It does not live on someone else’s mercy; it creates its own world. This is the ethic our youth must embrace if Pakistan is to compete in a knowledge-driven century.

Iqbal believed that the destiny of nations is determined by their capacity for knowledge. In his ‘Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam’, he argued that Islam is inherently dynamic, rational and future-oriented. It encourages inquiry, reflection and discovery. For Iqbal, revelation was not the end of thought; it was the beginning of an intellectual journey.

But he also lamented the decline of the scientific spirit in the Muslim world. In powerful verses, he captures a heavenly cry over the dulling of inquiry: “A cry descends from the heavens at dawn:/ How was your jewel of understanding lost?/ How did your blade of inquiry grow dull?/ Why do you no longer pierce the hearts of stars?” He continues: “You are meant for the stewardship of inner and outer worlds./ How can a flame become slave to dust?/ Why are the sun, moon, and stars not under your command?/ Why do the heavens no longer tremble at your gaze?” He distils civilisational renewal into one verse: “A new world dawns from new ideas./ Bricks and stones alone do not build civilisations”. 

URAAN Pakistan integrates this insight by investing in AI, biotechnology, and frontier technologies; research universities and knowledge clusters; digital governance; STEM skills and innovation ecosystems; and creative industries and startups.

A nation that renews its spirit of inquiry renews its future. If inquiry is Iqbal’s method, love for the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is his engine. His intellectual courage, spiritual confidence, and civilizational imagination all rise from this foundation. Iqbal believed that fidelity to the Prophet (pbuh) is the gateway to human excellence, moral clarity and collective purpose.

He proclaims this with unmatched devotion: “If you remain faithful to Muhammad [pbuh], then everything is yours./ What is this world before you? Even the Tablet and the Pen become yours”.

This is not a poetic sentiment but Iqbal’s philosophy of empowerment. For him, love of the Prophet (pbuh) is not ritual attachment but alignment with his values: justice, knowledge, compassion, courage and service. It is this alignment that unleashes khudi, sharpens purpose and gives nations the moral energy to rise.

Iqbal’s ‘Reconstruction’ calls for reopening the gates of ijtihad, integrating scientific reasoning with spiritual values, aligning faith with progress and justice, and building an ethical, future-ready society. He believed that stagnation arises when religion loses its creative, ethical core. Governance inspired by Iqbal, therefore, demands institutions that are flexible, evidence-based, citizen-centred and future-oriented.

The doctrine of khudi has profound economic implications. A nation that depends on borrowed ideas and borrowed confidence cannot rise with dignity. Economic sovereignty begins with intellectual sovereignty – with the belief that we can think, innovate and build for ourselves. URAAN Pakistan aims to build this ecosystem by rewarding initiative, nurturing talent and honouring merit.

Iqbal envisioned a moral state grounded in justice and compassion, not a theocracy, but an ethical polity. Pakistan must shift from a control-based colonial administration to a performance-driven, technology-enabled, citizen-centred state. This transformation requires transparent governance, merit-based institutions, data-driven planning, accountability with empowerment and policy continuity.

Ultimately, the true measure of Pakistan’s progress will not be determined solely by GDP. Nations rise through conviction, character and cohesion. Our path to renewal begins with reclaiming khudi, reigniting inquiry, embracing the Shaheen spirit and drawing strength from the love of the Prophet (pbuh) that fueled Iqbal’s entire intellectual universe. Iqbal’s call echoes across time: Rise. Act. Reclaim tomorrow.

The writer is the federal minister for planning, development, and special initiatives. He tweets/posts @betterpakistan and can be reached at: [email protected]

Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed in this piece are the writer’s own and don’t necessarily reflect Geo.tv’s editorial policy.

Originally published in The News