ISLAMABAD (APP) - The 73rd death anniversary of national poet Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal will be observed today (Thursday) across the country to acknowledge his services for getting a separate homeland for the Muslims of sub-continent. Allama Iqbal is officially recognised as national poet of Pakistan and known as Muffakir-e-Pakistan, Shair-e-Mashriq and Hakeem-ul-Ummat. Various social, political and cultural organisations arrange special programmes to pay homage to the poet of the East while debate competitions, seminars and conferences are arranged in schools, colleges and universities. Society of Asian civilisation would hold a special programme at Preston University to pay tributes to the great poet on his death anniversary here. Nazria Pakistan Trust and Majils-e-Iqbal will also arrange a seminar at Alhamra in Lahore. However, a 6-day book exhibition displaying variety of books of Allama Iqbal has also been arranged. Allama Iqbal was a poet, philosopher and politician born in Sialkot and his poetry in Urdu and Persian is considered to be among the greatest of the modern era. Iqbal is recognised for his scholarly works on politics, economics, history, philosophy and religion and is best known for his poetic works, including Asrar-e-Khudi, Rumuz-e-Bekhudi and Bang-e-Dara. He was a strong proponent of the political and spiritual revival of Islamic civilisation across the world, but specifically in India; a series of famous lectures he delivered to this effect were published as 'The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. One of the most prominent leaders of the All-India Muslim League, Iqbal encouraged the creation of a state in northwestern India for Indian Muslims in his 1930 presidential address. Iqbal was born on November 9, 1877 and his birthday is annually commemorated in Pakistan as Iqbal Day, a national holiday. Iqbal is the namesake of many public institutions, including the Allama Iqbal Medical College, Allama Iqbal Open University, the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, and Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town in Karachi. Government and public organisations have sponsored the establishment of colleges and schools dedicated to Iqbal, and have established the Iqbal Academy to research, teach and preserve the works, literature and philosophy of Iqbal. Allama Iqbal Stamps Society established for the promotion of Iqbaliyat in philately and in other hobbies. Iqbal died in Lahore on April 21, 1938 after suffering from illness for months.