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 eats away at the self, suppresses creativity and weakens the spirit.
In ‘Ilmul Iqtisad’, his early Urdu treatise on economics, Iqbal argues that economic strength depends on intellectual courage and moral purpose. He believed that the decline of nations begins when they lose their ability to investigate and their faith in their own creative mission. More than a century later, Pakistan’s moment of reckoning reflects this insight: Our crisis is not just 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 faith in our own agency. We are a young nation – among the youngest in the world – with a youth cohort of over 140 million. Yet too many of our young people stand suspended between aspiration and disillusionment.
To move forward, we must reclaim what Iqbal called ‘khudi’: a disciplined, responsible and creative self driven by purpose and rooted in moral autonomy. Khudi is not selfishness; it is self-respect and self-transformation. It is the belief that people 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 rooted in Islamic spirituality and human unity.
His approach is a model for Pakistan today. We must neither freeze ourselves in rigid traditions nor surrender to imported technocratic models. Instead, we must 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 only financial; it is about 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 pluralistic Pakistan, unity must not blur difference; it must be celebrated. Development must reach everyone: every region, every class, every gender and every society. Justice is not a by-product of development; it is its moral compass.
It is on this ethical basis that URAAN Pakistan has been conceived. URAAN is not a slogan or a list of projects – it is a paradigm for targeted development. It begins with people, not infrastructure. It recognizes that the true measure of progress is the expansion of the moral and material capacities 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 equality, 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 financial strength, the purpose remains unfulfilled.
Iqbal’s symbol of Shaheen has a special power for Pakistan today. Shaheen is not merely a poetic being; 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 addiction. In Bal-e-Jibril, Iqbal writes: “You are a falcon; flight is your call. / 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 consolation; it seeks height. It does not live on the mercy of others; it creates its own world. These are the ethics 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 verse, he captures a heavenly cry over the dullness of inquiry: “A cry descends from heaven at dawn:/ How was the jewel of your understanding lost?/ How was your blade of inquiry dulled?/ Why do you no longer pierce the hearts of the stars?” He continues: “You are meant for the management of inner and outer worlds./ How can a flame be enslaved by dust?/ Why are the sun, moon and stars not under your command?/ Why no longer does the sky tremble at your gaze?” He distills civilizational renewal in one verse: “A new world dawns of new ideas./ Bricks and stones alone do not build civilizations”.
URAAN Pakistan integrates this insight by investing in artificial intelligence, biotechnology and frontier technologies; research universities and knowledge clusters; digital control; 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 Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is his engine. His intellectual courage, spiritual confidence, and civilizational imagination all spring from this foundation. Iqbal believed that allegiance to the Prophet (pbuh) is the gateway to human excellence, moral clarity and collective purpose.
He preaches this with unsurpassed devotion: “If you remain true to Muhammad [pbuh]then all is thine./ What is this world before thee? Even the tablet and the pen will be yours”.
This is not a poetic sentiment but Iqbal’s philosophy of empowerment. For him, love for the Prophet (pbuh) is not ritual attachment, but conformity to his values: justice, knowledge, compassion, courage and service. It is this alignment that triggers 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-proof society. He believed that stagnation occurs when religion loses its creative, ethical core. Governance inspired by Iqbal therefore requires institutions that are flexible, evidence-based, citizen-centred and future-oriented.
The doctrine of khudi has profound economic implications. A nation dependent 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 honoring merit.
Iqbal envisioned a moral state based on justice and compassion, not a theocracy but an ethical polity. Pakistan needs to shift from a control-based colonial administration to a performance-driven, technology-enabled, citizen-centric state. This transformation requires transparent governance, merit-based institutions, data-driven planning, accountability with empowerment and political 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, reviving 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 throughout time: Rise up. Action. Recover tomorrow.
The author is the Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives. He tweets/posts @betterpakistan and can be contacted at: [email protected]
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Pakinomist.tv’s editorial policy.
Originally published in The News
