Pakistan, Nov. 11 -- Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has called for renewed efforts to introduce Allama Muhammad Iqbal's philosophy to younger generations, saying the poet's message of selfhood, intellectual independence and national purpose remains central to Pakistan's identity. Speaking at a ceremony marking Iqbal's 149th birth anniversary at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington on Monday, Sheikh said the country must ensure that the poet's ideas continue to inform education, public discourse and the aspirations of its youth.

"The intellectual foundation of our national life is rooted in the thought of Iqbal, just as the leadership of the Quaid constitutes the political foundation of our national life," he...