Minar-e-Pakistan is a public monument located in Iqbal Park which is one of the largest urban parks in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.[1] The tower was constructed during the 1960s on the site where, on 23 March 1940, the All-India Muslim League passed the Lahore Resolution, the first official call for a separate homeland for the Muslims living in the South Asia, in accordance with the two nation theory.
Design
The tower was designed and supervised by Nasreddin Murat-Khan, an architect and engineer hailing from Daghistan.[4]
The structural design was given by Nasreddin Murat-Khan (a qualified
engineer himself), assisted by Engineer Abdur Rehman Khan Niazi who was
working as Structural Design Engineer for Illeri N. Murat-Khan &
Associates. Approved by the President, the design was built by Mian
Abdul Khaliq and Company.[citation needed] The foundation stone
was laid on 23 March 1960. The construction took eight years, and was
completed in 1968. The Minar was completed on 31 October 1968 at an
estimated cost of Rs. 7,058,000. The money was collected by imposing an
additional tax on the cinema and horse racing tickets on the demand of
Akhtar Hussain, governor of West Pakistan. Today, the minaret provides a panoramic view to visitors who can climb up the stairs or through an elevator. The parks around the monument include marble fountains and an artificial lake.
Structure
The base is about 8 metres above the ground. The tower rises about 62
metres on the base, thus the total height of minaret is about 70 metres
above the ground. The unfolding petals of the flower-like base are 9
metres high. The diameter of the tower is about 9.75 meters. The rostrum
is built of patterned tiles, and faces the Badshahi Mosque. The base comprises four platforms. To symbolise humble beginnings of the freedom struggle, first platform is built with uncut Taxila
stones, second platform is made of hammer-dressed stones, whereas third
platform is of chiselled stones. Polished white marble at the fourth
and final platform depicts the success of the Pakistan Movement.[5] Mr. Mukhtar Masood, a prolific writer and the then–deputy commissioner of Lahore, was one of the members of the Building Committee.
Inscriptions
At the base, there are floral inscriptions on ten converging white marble Commemorative plaques. The inscriptions include the text of Lahore Resolution in Urdu, Bengali and English, and Delhi Resolution's text, which was passed on 9 April 1946. On different plaques, Quranic verses and 99 attributes of Allah are inscribed in Arabic calligraphy, whereas National Anthem of Pakistan in Urdu and Bengali, excerpts from the speeches of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in Urdu, Bengali and English, as well as few couplets of Allama Iqbal are inscribed.
Political Stands
Minar-e-Pakistan has always served as the location a number of
political protests and rallies, including recently those arranged by
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