BTTN Holds Essay Competition

In commemoration of Allama Iqbal’s 146th Birth Anniversary, Balochistan Think Tank Network (BTTN), Quetta arranged an essay competition on the topic “Iqbal’s Concept of Individuals’ Significance in Nation Building” for all the private and public sector universities of Pakistan on Tuesday

QUETTA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Nov, 2023) In commemoration of Allama Iqbal’s 146th Birth Anniversary, Balochistan Think Tank Network (BTTN), Quetta arranged an essay competition on the topic “Iqbal’s Concept of Individuals’ Significance in Nation Building” for all the private and public sector universities of Pakistan on Tuesday.

Students from Balochistan enrolled in different universities of Pakistan under all programs were invited to submit their essays and an overwhelming response was received.

The essays were evaluated by BTTN’s Institutional Review board through a blind peer review. The rationale behind the competition was to promote critical thinking and engage the youth through inclusively and outreach.

Based on the assessment, the top four contributors were invited to BTTN for the prize distribution ceremony held in BTTN Seminar Hall, BUITEMS, Quetta.

The event began with the National Anthem followed by the recitation of the Holy Quran. Research Officer Muneeb-Ur-Rehman moderated the event.

Brig Agha Ahmad Gul (R) delivered the welcome remarks in which he congratulated the winners for their effort and subsequent achievements.

He noted that the individuals’ contribution to the fate of nations was the anchor on which this competition was based on.

He stressed that Iqbal’s thoughts are still relevant to this day and that his concept of “Khudi” transcends far beyond individualism and is more focused on self-actualization.

Following this, BTTN’s Director Research Dr. Maria Malik briefly explained the assessment methodology and rationale behind the competition.

Mr Muhammad Ilyas from COMSATS, Islamabad, was awarded the special recognition prize.

He stressed the importance of the individual as a component of society.

According to him, Iqbal stresses that the individual qualities of humans do not possess any significance if taken out of societal contexts. Fizza Mehek Batool from BUITEMS, Quetta, who secured the 3rd position, highlighted the need for self-reliance of individuals as a key to nation-building.

She stated that knowing one’s potential and developing it is the highest form of achievement for a human according to Iqbal. Zahoor Ahmed, from BUITEMS, Quetta secured the 2nd position.

He mentioned that Iqbal's enduring legacy serves as a poignant reminder that individuals are not mere bystanders, but rather, they are dynamic catalysts in the construction of a robust and thriving nation.

Mahpara Baloch who belongs to the remote area of Washuk that is 100 miles South of Kharan is now studying at Kinnaird College for Women University Lahore.

Mahpara who secured 1st position in the competition stressed the need for spiritual revival and that we as Muslims have failed to follow our deen in our daily lives.

The Keynote Speaker for the event was the Director of Iqbal academy, Dr Abdul Rauf Rafiqi. He congratulated BTTN for carrying on with the tradition of holding Iqbal in high esteem. Iqbal’s poetry, according to him, is the key to the intellectual mobilisation of the youth.

He lamented the fact that Iqbal is not studied as systematically in Pakistan as it is done in other parts of the Muslim world.

According to Dr. Rafiqi, Iqbal’s thoughts are the center of Islamic Thought as Iqbal stressed that if one wants to live according to islam, one must not look further than the Quran itself.

While concluding his address, Rafiqi stressed that it is incumbent on the youth of today to learn more about it.