The Iqbal Academy Pakistan is an autonomous statutory institution functioning under the Government of Pakistan. It was formally established under the Iqbal Academy Ordinance of 1962 as a national centre of excellence for Iqbal Studies. Although the Academy was founded in 1951, it received its legal status in 1962. Initially headquartered in Karachi, it was later shifted to Lahore, where it continues to operate from Aiwan-e-Iqbal, reflecting its close association with the life and legacy of Allama Muhammad Iqbal.

The Academy is dedicated to the research, editing, interpretation, publication, and worldwide dissemination of Iqbal's poetry, philosophy, and intellectual thought. It undertakes a wide range of scholarly activities, including the publication of research books and journals, translations, conferences, seminars, exhibitions, Iqbal Awards, academic collaborations, and projects promoting Iqbal's message internationally. The Academy has also played a significant role in introducing Iqbal's ideas to new generations through modern media and multilingual publications.

Its library is regarded as one of the oldest and largest repositories of Iqbal Studies in the world. The collection includes thousands of books, rare publications, historical journals, and reference works on Iqbal, philosophy, history, literature, and related disciplines in numerous international and regional languages. In 1989, the Academy prepared the first multilingual bibliography of Iqbal Studies, and in 2003 it launched the Allama Iqbal Cyber Library, one of the earliest comprehensive online Urdu libraries. The digital collection comprises 2,746+ e-books by 1,289 authors, covering 194 subjects in 28 languages. A selected portion of the Academy's valuable collection is also available through the Rekhta Digital Library, enabling readers and researchers worldwide to access this rich intellectual heritage.