Al Mayadeen English

Allama Iqbal to Islamabad talks: Cultural fndn of Iran–Pakistan rel. with Dr. Eatzaz Ahmed

In this in-depth conversation, Professor and Dean of Iqra University Islamabad Campus H-9, Dr. Eatzaz Ahmed, traces the cultural and intellectual roots of Iran–Pakistan relations, going beyond geopolitics to a shared civilizational space. Al Mayadeen English’s envoy to Islamabad, Karim Sharara, engages Dr. Ahmed in a discussion on Allama Iqbal, from his concept of Khudi (selfhood) and call for intellectual revival, to his deep engagement with Persian thought and figures like Jalal al-Din Rumi. The conversation highlights how ideas of self-respect, anti-colonial awakening, and knowledge-based struggle helped shape Pakistan’s political identity. It also explores how shared linguistic, cultural, and historical ties continue to underpin contemporary Iran–Pakistan relations, often overlooked in favor of purely geopolitical analysis, particularly in light of the Islamabad talks.