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{{EngvarB|date=January 2014}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox historic building
{{Infobox monument
| name             = Minar-e-Pakistan
| name         = Minar-e-Pakistan
| native_name     = {{nq|مینارِ پاکستان}}
| native_name   = مینارِ پاکستان
| status          = National Tower of Pakistan
| image        = Minar e Pakistan 2021.jpg
| alternate_names = Pakistan Day Memorial <br /> Tower of Pakistan <br/> Yadgar-e-Pakistan
| image_size    =  
| image            = Minar e Pakistan 2021.jpg
| caption      = Minar-e-Pakistan (2021)
| location         = [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]
| location     = [[Greater Iqbal Park]], Circular Road, [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]]
| address          = [[Greater Iqbal Park]], Circular Road, Lahore
| designer      = [[Nasreddin Murat-Khan]]
| coordinates      = {{coord|31.5925|74.3095|region:PK_source:dewiki|display=inline,title}}
| type          = National monument
| architectural_style = [[Minaret]], [[Mughal architecture|Mughal]], [[Modern architecture|Modern]]
| material      = Reinforced concrete, marble, stone, steel
| start_date      =  {{Start date and age|1960|03|23|df=yes}}
| length        =
| completion_date  = {{Start date and age|1968|03|22|df=yes}}
| width        = {{convert|97.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} (diameter)
| architect        = [[Nasreddin Murat-Khan]]
| height        = {{convert|70|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| map_type        = Pakistan Lahore#Punjab Pakistan#Pakistan
| weight        =  
| map_caption      = Location within [[Lahore]]##Location within Punjab##Location within Pakistan
| visitors_num =
| building_type   = Public monument
| visitors_year =
| antenna_spire    =  
| begin        = {{Start date|1960|03|23|df=yes}}
| roof            = {{convert|70|m|ft}}<!--see Pakistan Today and BBC Urdu news articles-->
| complete      = {{Start date|1968|03|22|df=yes}}
| structural_engineer =  
| dedicated    =  
| services_engineer =  
| open          =  
| main_contractor  = Mian Abdul Khaliq
| restore      =  
| dismantled   =  
| dedicated_to  = [[Lahore Resolution]] (Pakistan Resolution)
| coordinates  = {{coord|31.5925|74.3095|region:PK_source:dewiki|display=inline,title}}
| website      =  
| extra_label  = Status
| extra        = National Tower of Pakistan
}}
}}
'''Minar-e-Pakistan''' ({{langx|ur|{{nq|مینارِ پاکستان}}|Mīnār-e-Pākistān}}; {{lit|Tower of Pakistan}}) is a [[Monument|public monument]] [[tower]] located in [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|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 [[Muslim]]s of [[British India]], as espoused by the [[two-nation theory]]. The resolution eventually helped lead to the creation of Pakistan in [[Independence of Pakistan|1947]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Talbot |first1=Ian |title=Pakistan, A Modern History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZBs0HdpKuaQC |date=1998 |publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]] |location=New York |isbn=978-03-12-21606-1 |page=66 |quote=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).}}</ref><ref name="Dawn" />
'''Minar-e-Pakistan''' ({{langx|ur|مینارِ پاکستان|Mīnār-e-Pākistān|engvar=gb}}; {{lit|Tower of Pakistan}}) is a [[Monument|national monument]] located in [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan]]. The tower stands in the [[Greater Iqbal Park]], an urban park in Lahore.<ref name="Khan">{{Cite journal|last=Khan|first=Ahmed Z.|date=2013-03-01|title=On Design and Politics of Co-producing Public Space: The Long Marches and the Reincarnation of the 'Forecourt' of the Pakistani Nation|url=http://openurl.ingenta.com/content/xref?genre=article&issn=2045-5895&volume=2&issue=1&spage=125|journal=International Journal of Islamic Architecture|language=en|volume=2|issue=1|pages=136–138 |doi=10.1386/ijia.2.1.125_1|s2cid=152739234 |hdl=2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/154812|hdl-access=free}}</ref> 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 [[Muslim]]s of [[British India]], as espoused by the [[two-nation theory]]. The resolution eventually helped lead to the creation of Pakistan in [[Independence of Pakistan|1947]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Talbot |first1=Ian |title=Pakistan, A Modern History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZBs0HdpKuaQC |date=1998 |publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]] |location=New York |isbn=978-03-12-21606-1 |page=66 |quote=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).}}</ref><ref name="Dawn" />
 
The tower is located in the middle of an [[urban park]], called the [[Greater Iqbal Park]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Khan|first=Ahmed Z.|date=2013-03-01|title=On Design and Politics of Co-producing Public Space: The Long Marches and the Reincarnation of the 'Forecourt' of the Pakistani Nation|url=http://openurl.ingenta.com/content/xref?genre=article&issn=2045-5895&volume=2&issue=1&spage=125|journal=International Journal of Islamic Architecture|language=en|volume=2|issue=1|pages=125–156|doi=10.1386/ijia.2.1.125_1|s2cid=152739234 |hdl=2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/154812|hdl-access=free}}</ref>


==Construction==
==Construction==
[[File:FoundationStone-Minar-e-Pakistan.png|thumb|left|150px|The original foundation stone of Minar-e-Pakistan]]
[[File:FoundationStone-Minar-e-Pakistan.png|thumb|left|150px|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<ref name="Dawn" /><ref name="Rifat" /> at an estimated cost of seven million.<ref name="BBC" /> The money was collected by imposing an additional tax on cinema and horse racing tickets at the demand of the governor.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |title=مینارِ پاکستان: قراردادِ لاہور کی یادگار جس کی تعمیر کی رقم سینما گھروں اور گھڑ دوڑ کی ٹکٹوں سے جمع کی گئی  |trans-title=Minar-e-Pakistan: A monument to the Lahore Resolution, built with money raised from cinema and horse racing tickets |url=https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan-57966829 |access-date=24 March 2025 |work=[[BBC Urdu]] |date=26 July 2021 |language=ur}}</ref>
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<ref name="Dawn" /><ref name="Rifat" /> at an estimated cost of seven million [[Pakistani rupee|Pakistani rupees]].<ref name="BBC" /> The money was collected by imposing an additional tax on cinema and horse racing tickets at the demand of the governor.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |title=مینارِ پاکستان: قراردادِ لاہور کی یادگار جس کی تعمیر کی رقم سینما گھروں اور گھڑ دوڑ کی ٹکٹوں سے جمع کی گئی  |trans-title=Minar-e-Pakistan: A monument to the Lahore Resolution, built with money raised from cinema and horse racing tickets |url=https://www.bbc.com/urdu/pakistan-57966829 |access-date=24 March 2025 |work=[[BBC Urdu]] |date=26 July 2021 |language=ur}}</ref>


Mian Abdul Khaliq was assigned as the main contractor for the project.<ref name="Rifat">{{cite news |last1=Rifat |first1=M. Zahid |title=Revisiting Minar-i-Pakistan |url=https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/03/17/revisiting-minar-i-pakistan/ |access-date=26 March 2025 |work=[[Pakistan Today]] |date=17 March 2022}}</ref> [[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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Parekh |first1=Rauf |author-link=Rauf Parekh|title=Literary Notes: Mukhtar Masood: a stylish and patriotic prose writer of Urdu |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1327610 |work=Dawn |date=18 April 2017 |language=en}}</ref>
Mian Abdul Khaliq was assigned as the main contractor for the project.<ref name="Rifat">{{cite news |last1=Rifat |first1=M. Zahid |title=Revisiting Minar-i-Pakistan |url=https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2022/03/17/revisiting-minar-i-pakistan/ |access-date=26 March 2025 |work=[[Pakistan Today]] |date=17 March 2022}}</ref> [[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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Parekh |first1=Rauf |author-link=Rauf Parekh|title=Literary Notes: Mukhtar Masood: a stylish and patriotic prose writer of Urdu |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1327610 |work=Dawn |date=18 April 2017 |language=en}}</ref>
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==Design==
==Design==
[[File:Minar-e-Pakistan by ZILL NIAZI 3.jpg|thumb|The monument sits atop a plinth.]]
[[File:Minar-e-Pakistan by ZILL NIAZI 3.jpg|thumb|The monument sits atop a plinth.]]
The tower reflects a blend of [[Mughal architecture|Mughal]], [[Islamic architecture|Islamic]] and modern architecture.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Devji |first1=Faisal |author-link=Faisal Devji |title=An Elephant in the Room |journal=[[Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East]] |date=2019 |volume=39 |issue=1 |page=229 |doi=10.1215/1089201X-7493931 |publisher=Duke University Press |quote=...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.}}</ref><ref name="Pakistan Today">{{Cite news |title=Minar-e-Pakistan: Re-living history |url=https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/03/24/minar-e-pakistan-re-living-history/ |work=[[Pakistan Today]] |date=24 March 2019 |access-date=25 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408033516/https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/03/24/minar-e-pakistan-re-living-history/ |archive-date=8 April 2019}}</ref> The tower was designed and supervised by, [[Nasreddin Murat-Khan]], a Russian-born Pakistani [[architect]] and [[civil engineer]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Remembrance: The man behind the masterpiece|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/859634/remembrance-the-man-behind-the-masterpiece |date=22 March 2009 |access-date=5 December 2012|newspaper=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|author=Meral Murat Khan}}</ref>  
The tower reflects a blend of [[Mughal architecture|Mughal]], [[Islamic architecture|Islamic]] and modern architecture.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Devji |first1=Faisal |author-link=Faisal Devji |title=An Elephant in the Room |journal=[[Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East]] |date=2019 |volume=39 |issue=1 |page=229 |doi=10.1215/1089201X-7493931 |publisher=Duke University Press |quote=...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.}}</ref><ref name="Pakistan Today">{{Cite news |title=Minar-e-Pakistan: Re-living history |url=https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/03/24/minar-e-pakistan-re-living-history/ |work=[[Pakistan Today]] |date=24 March 2019 |access-date=25 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408033516/https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/03/24/minar-e-pakistan-re-living-history/ |archive-date=8 April 2019}}</ref> The tower was designed and supervised by, [[Nasreddin Murat-Khan]], a Russian-born Pakistani [[architect]] and [[civil engineer]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Khan|first=Ahmed Z.|date=2013-03-01|title=On Design and Politics of Co-producing Public Space: The Long Marches and the Reincarnation of the 'Forecourt' of the Pakistani Nation|url=http://openurl.ingenta.com/content/xref?genre=article&issn=2045-5895&volume=2&issue=1&spage=125|journal=International Journal of Islamic Architecture|language=en|volume=2|issue=1|pages=125–156|doi=10.1386/ijia.2.1.125_1|s2cid=152739234 |hdl=2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/154812|hdl-access=free |quote=Quote: The Minar-e-Pakistan, completed in 1968, was meant to commemorate the historic space where the ‘Lahore Resolution’ – that spelled out the idea of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent – was tabled and accepted in 1940. Murat Khan, a Lahore-based architect of central Asian and Turkish origins, was appointed as the designer...}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Remembrance: The man behind the masterpiece|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/859634/remembrance-the-man-behind-the-masterpiece |date=22 March 2009 |access-date=5 December 2012|newspaper=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|author=Meral Murat Khan}}</ref>  


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".
The tower stands on a five-pointed star-shaped platform that is enclosed by two crescent-shaped pools facing each other. One crescent pool is lined with red marble, the other is lined with green marble. The lower portion of the tower itself is shaped into a flower.<ref name="Khan" /><ref name="Dawn" /> The area surrounding the monument is covered with flowers.


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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hanif |first1=Intikhab |title=A park in search of a resolution |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/238767/a-park-in-search-of-a-resolution |access-date=24 March 2025 |work=Dawn |date=23 March 2007 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Man jumps from Minar-i-Pakistan |url=https://beta.dawn.com/news/99485/man-jumps-from-minar-i-pakistan |access-date=24 March 2025 |work=Dawn |date=29 April 2003 |language=en}}</ref>
=== Structure ===
=== Structure ===
[[File:Top Aerial View of Minar e Pakistan.jpg|thumb|The structure as seen from the above]]
[[File:Top Aerial View of Minar e Pakistan.jpg|thumb|The structure as seen from the above]]
The base of the tower rises {{convert|8|m}} from the ground while the tower stands at a height of {{convert|62|m}} on the base. This makes the total height of the tower around {{convert|70|m}} above the ground.<ref name="Pakistan Today" /> The eight unfolding petals of the flower-like base are {{convert|9|m}} high. The circular diameter of the tower is about {{convert|97.5|m}}.<ref name="Dawn" /> 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]].<ref name="Dawn">{{Cite news |last=Jamal |first=Amna Nasir |date=March 23, 2002 |title=The Pakistan Day memorial |pages=Dawn Young World |work=Dawn |url=http://www.dawn.com/weekly//yworld/archive/020323/yworld4.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=12 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070328210349/http://www.dawn.com/weekly//yworld/archive/020323/yworld4.htm |archive-date=March 28, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Adnan |first1=Imran |title=Minar-e-Pakistan gets major facelift |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/1215587/years-construction-minar-e-pakistan-gets-major-facelift |date=30 October 2016 |access-date=26 March 2022 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref> The structure uses the imagery of crescents, stars and signs that symbolise the culture of Pakistan, similarly seen in the [[Flag of Pakistan|national flag of the country]].<ref name=":2" />
Construction material of the tower is chiefly of reinforced concrete alongwith work of marble and stones on the floors, walls and upstairs.<ref name="Khan" /> The small dome on the top is made of steel with a pinnacle. The base of the tower rises {{convert|8|m}} from the ground while the tower stands at a height of {{convert|62|m}} on the base. This makes the total height of the tower around {{convert|70|m}} above the ground.<ref name="Pakistan Today" /> The ten unfolding petals of the flower-like base are {{convert|9|m}} high. The circular diameter of the tower is about {{convert|97.5|m}}.<ref name="Dawn" /> The rostrum is built of patterned tiles, and faces the Mughal-era [[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]].<ref name="Dawn">{{Cite news |last=Jamal |first=Amna Nasir |date=March 23, 2002 |title=The Pakistan Day memorial |pages=Dawn Young World |work=Dawn |url=http://www.dawn.com/weekly//yworld/archive/020323/yworld4.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=12 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070328210349/http://www.dawn.com/weekly//yworld/archive/020323/yworld4.htm |archive-date=March 28, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Adnan |first1=Imran |title=Minar-e-Pakistan gets major facelift |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/1215587/years-construction-minar-e-pakistan-gets-major-facelift |date=30 October 2016 |access-date=26 March 2022 |website=The Express Tribune |language=en}}</ref> The structure uses the imagery of crescents, stars and signs that symbolise the culture of Pakistan, similarly seen in the [[Flag of Pakistan|national flag of the country]].<ref name="Khan" />
=== Inscriptions ===
=== Inscriptions ===
{{multiple image
{{multiple image
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Minar-e-Pakistan is considered the [[National symbols of Pakistan|national emblem of Pakistan]],<ref>{{cite book|title=The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems|first=James|last=Minahan|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|page=141}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=National Symbols of Pakistan |url=http://www.nationalheritage.gov.pk/nationalsymbols.html |publisher=Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage – Government of Pakistan |archive-date=27 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827084404/http://nationalheritage.gov.pk/nationalsymbols.html}}</ref> and an expression of [[post-colonial]] national identity.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}
Minar-e-Pakistan is considered the [[National symbols of Pakistan|national emblem of Pakistan]],<ref>{{cite book|title=The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems|first=James|last=Minahan|publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]]|page=141}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=National Symbols of Pakistan |url=http://www.nationalheritage.gov.pk/nationalsymbols.html |publisher=Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage – Government of Pakistan |archive-date=27 August 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130827084404/http://nationalheritage.gov.pk/nationalsymbols.html}}</ref> and an expression of [[post-colonial]] national identity.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}
=== Notable visits and events===
=== Notable visits and events===
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).<ref>{{cite book|title=Relations of NDA and UPA with Neighbours|last1=Singh |first1=Rajkumar |pages=80–81|year=2010 |isbn=978-81-21-21060-7}}</ref> Vajpayee's visit was compared to [[Nixon's visit to China]] in terms of significance.<ref>{{cite book|title=Trusting Enemies: Interpersonal Relationships in International Conflict|pages=128, 211|first=Nicholas J.|last=Wheeler |author-link=Nicholas J. Wheeler|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2018|isbn=978-01-99-69647-5}}</ref>
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).<ref>{{cite book|title=Relations of NDA and UPA with Neighbours|last1=Singh |first1=Rajkumar |pages=80–81|year=2010 |publisher=Gyan Publishing House |isbn=978-81-21-21060-7}}</ref> Vajpayee's visit was compared to [[Nixon's visit to China]] in terms of significance.<ref>{{cite book|title=Trusting Enemies: Interpersonal Relationships in International Conflict|pages=128, 211|first=Nicholas J.|last=Wheeler |author-link=Nicholas J. Wheeler|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2018|isbn=978-01-99-69647-5}}</ref>


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.<ref>{{cite news |title=SM Krishna visits 'Minar-e-Pakistan' |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-sm-krishna-visits-minar-e-pakistan-1738757 |access-date=23 April 2025 |work=[[DNA India]] |date=9 September 2012 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Krishna visits Lahore monument |url=https://www.dawn.com/2012/09/10/krishna-visits-lahore-monument/ |access-date=23 April 2025 |work=Dawn |date=10 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911011548/https://www.dawn.com/2012/09/10/krishna-visits-lahore-monument/ |archive-date=11 September 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite news |title=SM Krishna visits 'Minar-e-Pakistan' |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-sm-krishna-visits-minar-e-pakistan-1738757 |access-date=23 April 2025 |work=[[DNA India]] |date=9 September 2012 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Krishna visits Lahore monument |url=https://www.dawn.com/2012/09/10/krishna-visits-lahore-monument/ |access-date=23 April 2025 |work=Dawn |date=10 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911011548/https://www.dawn.com/2012/09/10/krishna-visits-lahore-monument/ |archive-date=11 September 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>


The monument has served as the location for a number of rallies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-93467-PTI-to-stage-rally-at-Minar-e-Pakistan-today- |title=PTI to stage rally at Minar-e-Pakistan today |work=The News International |date=23 March 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=City diary : Govt mulls banning public rallies at Minar-i-Pakistan |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1146706 |date=25 November 2014 |publisher=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]}}</ref>
The location is often used for political and religious events. It is also known as the "Liberty Tower of Pakistan". The monument has served as the location for a number of rallies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/article-93467-PTI-to-stage-rally-at-Minar-e-Pakistan-today- |title=PTI to stage rally at Minar-e-Pakistan today |work=The News International |date=23 March 2013}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=City diary : Govt mulls banning public rallies at Minar-i-Pakistan |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1146706 |date=25 November 2014 |publisher=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hanif |first1=Intikhab |title=A park in search of a resolution |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/238767/a-park-in-search-of-a-resolution |access-date=24 March 2025 |work=Dawn |date=23 March 2007 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Man jumps from Minar-i-Pakistan |url=https://beta.dawn.com/news/99485/man-jumps-from-minar-i-pakistan |access-date=24 March 2025 |work=Dawn |date=29 April 2003 |language=en}}</ref>


== Gallery ==
== Gallery ==
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== Bibliography ==
== Bibliography ==
* State of Human Rights in Pakistan. Pakistan, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 2004.
* State of Human Rights in Pakistan. Pakistan, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 2004.
*{{cite book |last1=Chaudhry |first1=Nazir A. |title=Lahore: Glimpses of a Glorious Heritage |year=1998 |publisher=[[Sang-e-Meel Publications]] |location=Lahore |isbn=978-96-93-50944-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Lahore_a_Glorious_Heritage.html?id=bIPjAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y}}
*{{cite book |last1=Chaudhry |first1=Nazir A. |title=Lahore: Glimpses of a Glorious Heritage |year=1998 |publisher=[[Sang-e-Meel Publications]] |location=Lahore |isbn=978-96-93-50944-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bIPjAAAAMAAJ}}
*{{cite book |last1=Nadiem |first1=Ihsan H. |author-link=Ihsan H. Nadiem |title=Lahore: a Glorious Heritage |year=1996 |publisher=[[Sang-e-Meel Publications]] |location=Lahore |isbn=978-96-93-50718-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Lahore_a_Glorious_Heritage.html?id=3e3iAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y}}
*{{cite book |last1=Nadiem |first1=Ihsan H. |author-link=Ihsan H. Nadiem |title=Lahore: a Glorious Heritage |year=1996 |publisher=[[Sang-e-Meel Publications]] |location=Lahore |isbn=978-96-93-50718-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3e3iAAAAMAAJ}}


== References ==
== References ==

Latest revision as of 03:20, 30 December 2025

Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox monument Minar-e-Pakistan (Template:Langx; Template:Lit) is a national monument located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. The tower stands in the Greater Iqbal Park, an urban park in Lahore.[1] 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.[2][3]

Construction

File:FoundationStone-Minar-e-Pakistan.png
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[3][4] at an estimated cost of seven million Pakistani rupees.[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

File:Minar-e-Pakistan by ZILL NIAZI 3.jpg
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][10]

The tower stands on a five-pointed star-shaped platform that is enclosed by two crescent-shaped pools facing each other. One crescent pool is lined with red marble, the other is lined with green marble. The lower portion of the tower itself is shaped into a flower.[1][3] The area surrounding the monument is covered with flowers.

Structure

File:Top Aerial View of Minar e Pakistan.jpg
The structure as seen from the above

Construction material of the tower is chiefly of reinforced concrete alongwith work of marble and stones on the floors, walls and upstairs.[1] The small dome on the top is made of steel with a pinnacle. The base of the tower rises Script error: No such module "convert". from the ground while the tower stands at a height of Script error: No such module "convert". on the base. This makes the total height of the tower around Script error: No such module "convert". above the ground.[8] The ten unfolding petals of the flower-like base are Script error: No such module "convert". high. The circular diameter of the tower is about Script error: No such module "convert"..[3] The rostrum is built of patterned tiles, and faces the Mughal-era 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.[3][11] 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.[1]

Inscriptions

Script error: No such module "Multiple image". 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,[3] 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.[3]

Significance

Minar-e-Pakistan is considered the national emblem of Pakistan,[12][13] and an expression of post-colonial national identity.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".

Notable visits and events

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).[14] Vajpayee's visit was compared to Nixon's visit to China in terms of significance.[15]

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.[16][17]

The location is often used for political and religious events. It is also known as the "Liberty Tower of Pakistan". The monument has served as the location for a number of rallies.[18] 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.[19] 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.[20][21]

Gallery

See also

Bibliography

  • State of Human Rights in Pakistan. Pakistan, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, 2004.
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References

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  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

Template:Sister project

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Template:Walled City of Lahore Script error: No such module "Navbox". Template:Cultural heritage sites in Punjab, Pakistan

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