Minar-e-Pakistan

Monument in Lahore, Pakistan

Minar-e-Pakistan

مینارِ پاکستان

Location within Lahore

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Location within Punjab

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Location within Pakistan

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Alternative names| Pakistan Day Memorial
Tower of Pakistan
Yadgar-e-Pakistan
General information
Status| National Tower of Pakistan
Type| Public monument
Architectural style| Minaret, Mughal, Modern
Location| Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Address| Greater Iqbal Park, Circular Road, Lahore
Coordinates| 31°35′33″N 74°18′34″E﻿ / ﻿31.5925°N 74.3095°E﻿ / 31.5925; 74.3095
Construction started| 23 March 1960; 65 years ago (1960-03-23)
Completed| 22 March 1968; 57 years ago (1968-03-22)
Height
Roof| 70 metres (230 ft)
Design and construction
Architect(s)| Nasreddin Murat-Khan
Main contractor| Mian Abdul Khaliq

Minar-e-Pakistan (Urdu: مینارِ پاکستان, romanized: Mīnār-e-Pākistān; lit. 'Tower of Pakistan') is a public monument tower located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The tower was built during 1960–1968 on the site where on 23 March 1940, the All-India Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution which was later called the Pakistan Resolution – the first official call for a separate and independent homeland for the Muslims of British India, as espoused by the two-nation theory. The resolution eventually helped lead to the creation of Pakistan in 1947.[1][2]

The tower is located in the middle of an urban park, called the Greater Iqbal Park.[3]

## Construction

[edit]

The original foundation stone of Minar-e-Pakistan

On 23 March 1960, the foundation stone of the tower was laid by Akhter Husain, the then–governor of West Pakistan. The construction of the tower took eight years, and was completed on 22 March 1968[2][4] at an estimated cost of seven million.[5] The money was collected by imposing an additional tax on cinema and horse racing tickets at the demand of the governor.[5]

Mian Abdul Khaliq was assigned as the main contractor for the project.[4] Mukhtar Masood, a well-known writer and the then–deputy commissioner of Lahore, was one of the members who undertook important role for the completion of the project.[6]

## Design

[edit]

The monument sits atop a plinth.

The tower reflects a blend of Mughal, Islamic and modern architecture.[7][8] The tower was designed and supervised by, Nasreddin Murat-Khan, a Russian-born Pakistani architect and civil engineer.[9]

The tower base is shaped like a flower. The area surrounding the monument is covered with parks and flowers. The location is often used for political and religious events. It is also known as the "Liberty Tower of Pakistan".

In the past, the tower was used to provide a panoramic view to visitors who could access the top by climbing up the spiral stairs or using an elevator. However, this facility was later withdrawn due to a few suicide incidents.[10][11]

### Structure

[edit]

The structure as seen from the above

The base of the tower rises 8 metres (26 ft) from the ground while the tower stands at a height of 62 metres (203 ft) on the base. This makes the total height of the tower around 70 metres (230 ft) above the ground.[8] The eight unfolding petals of the flower-like base are 9 metres (30 ft) high. The circular diameter of the tower is about 97.5 metres (320 ft).[2] The rostrum is built of patterned tiles, and faces Badshahi Mosque. The base consists of four platforms that are made of different types of marble and stones. To symbolise the humble beginning of the struggle for freedom, the first platform is built with uncut stones from Taxila, the second platform is made of hammer-dressed stones, and the third platform is made of chiselled stones. The polished white marble used in the fourth and final platform of the base depicts the success of the Pakistan Movement.[2][12] The structure uses the imagery of crescents, stars and signs that symbolise the culture of Pakistan, similarly seen in the national flag of the country.[3]

### Inscriptions

[edit]

A view of base of the structure

Texts over marble plaques

At the base, there are floral inscriptions on ten converging white marble commemorative plaques. The inscriptions include the text of the Lahore Resolution in Urdu, Bengali and English, as well as the Delhi Resolution's text,[2] which was passed on 9 April 1946. On different plaques, Quranic verses and 99 names of Allah are inscribed in the Arabic calligraphy. Other important inscriptions included on the monument are the national anthem of the country in Urdu and Bengali, excerpts from the speeches of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Urdu, Bengali and English; and a few couplets written by Muhammad Iqbal.[2]

## Significance

[edit]

Minar-e-Pakistan is considered the national emblem of Pakistan,[13][14] and an expression of post-colonial national identity.[citation needed]

### Notable visits and events

[edit]

On 21 February 1999, the then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee became the first Indian leader to visit Minar-e-Pakistan (previous Indian state visits to Pakistan had not included a visit to Lahore).[15] Vajpayee's visit was compared to Nixon's visit to China in terms of significance.[16]

On 9 September 2012, the erstwhile Indian Minister for External Affairs S. M. Krishna with Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal, also made a visit to the monument. Krishna wrote his remarks in visitors album of the monument.[17][18]

The monument has served as the location for a number of rallies.[19] The rallies have often caused damage to the surrounding flora, according to the Parks and Horticulture Authority. In 2014, the Government of Punjab considered banning any large political or non-political gatherings.[20]

## Gallery

[edit]

* View from the Greater Iqbal Park

* A lit view of the monument in 2014

* A view under cloudy sky with shadow on the marble floor

* An aerial view

* The richly framed by an aisle arch

* The tower lit during special events

* At night

* Another night view

## See also

[edit]

* Pakistan Monument
* List of parks and gardens in Lahore
* List of parks and gardens in Pakistan

## Bibliography

[edit]

* State of Human Rights in Pakistan. Pakistan, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 2004.
* Chaudhry, Nazir A. (1998). Lahore: Glimpses of a Glorious Heritage. Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications. ISBN 978-96-93-50944-1.
* Nadiem, Ihsan H. (1996). Lahore: a Glorious Heritage. Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications. ISBN 978-96-93-50718-8.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Talbot, Ian (1998). Pakistan, A Modern History. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 66\. ISBN 978-03-12-21606-1. "Just north of the massive Alamgiri gate of Akbar's Lahore Fort, the 1960s modernist concrete structure of the Minar-e-Pakistan rises from its flower vase like base in Iqbal Park. It marks the place where the Pakistan resolution was passed on 23 March 1940 at the Annual Session of the All-India Muslim League (AIML)."
2. ^ a b c d e f Jamal, Amna Nasir (23 March 2002). "The Pakistan Day memorial". Dawn. pp. Dawn Young World. Archived from the original on 28 March 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
3. ^ a b Khan, Ahmed Z. (1 March 2013). "On Design and Politics of Co-producing Public Space: The Long Marches and the Reincarnation of the 'Forecourt' of the Pakistani Nation". International Journal of Islamic Architecture. 2 (1): 125–156\. doi:10.1386/ijia.2.1.125_1. hdl:2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/154812. S2CID 152739234.
4. ^ a b Rifat, M. Zahid (17 March 2022). "Revisiting Minar-i-Pakistan". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
5. ^ a b "مینارِ پاکستان: قراردادِ لاہور کی یادگار جس کی تعمیر کی رقم سینما گھروں اور گھڑ دوڑ کی ٹکٹوں سے جمع کی گئی" [Minar-e-Pakistan: A monument to the Lahore Resolution, built with money raised from cinema and horse racing tickets]. BBC Urdu (in Urdu). 26 July 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
6. ^ Parekh, Rauf (18 April 2017). "Literary Notes: Mukhtar Masood: a stylish and patriotic prose writer of Urdu". Dawn.
7. ^ Devji, Faisal (2019). "An Elephant in the Room". Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. 39 (1). Duke University Press: 229. doi:10.1215/1089201X-7493931. "...the most important national monument of another Mughal capital, Lahore, is a modern tower called the Minar-e-Pakistan located outside the old city walls. Indeed, all of Pakistan's iconic national monuments are modern and even modernist, from the Minar to Jinnah's tomb in Karachi and the Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad."
8. ^ a b "Minar-e-Pakistan: Re-living history". Pakistan Today. 24 March 2019. Archived from the original on 8 April 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
9. ^ Meral Murat Khan (22 March 2009). "Remembrance: The man behind the masterpiece". Dawn. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
10. ^ Hanif, Intikhab (23 March 2007). "A park in search of a resolution". Dawn. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
11. ^ "Man jumps from Minar-i-Pakistan". Dawn. 29 April 2003. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
12. ^ Adnan, Imran (30 October 2016). "Minar-e-Pakistan gets major facelift". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
13. ^ Minahan, James. The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems. ABC-CLIO. p. 141.
14. ^ "National Symbols of Pakistan". Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage – Government of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 27 August 2013.
15. ^ Singh, Rajkumar (2010). Relations of NDA and UPA with Neighbours. Gyan Publishing House. pp. 80–81\. ISBN 978-81-21-21060-7.
16. ^ Wheeler, Nicholas J. (2018). Trusting Enemies: Interpersonal Relationships in International Conflict. Oxford University Press. pp. 128, 211. ISBN 978-01-99-69647-5.
17. ^ "SM Krishna visits 'Minar-e-Pakistan'". DNA India. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
18. ^ "Krishna visits Lahore monument". Dawn. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 11 September 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
19. ^ "PTI to stage rally at Minar-e-Pakistan today". The News International. 23 March 2013.
20. ^ "City diary : Govt mulls banning public rallies at Minar-i-Pakistan". Dawn. 25 November 2014.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Minar-e-Pakistan.

* "Minar-e Pakistan". ArchNet.
* "Minar-e-Pakistan". archnet.org. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007.
* "Minar-e-Pakistan". Archived from the original on 9 January 2007.

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