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The Symbol of Struggle for
Pakistan
Minar-e-Pakistan in the
lqbal Park, Lahore was constructed to commemorate the famous Lahore
Resolution which on 23 March 1940, in which Pakistan Muslim League, the
single representative political party of all Muslims of the India in its
historic 34 annual session unanimously demanded the creation of a separate
homeland for the Muslims of this sub-continent. The Minar is a blend of
Mughal and modern architecture and has been very boldly designed. The
foundation stone was laid on 23 March 1960 by the governor West Pakistan
Mr Akhtar Hussain in the Minto Park, which was later renamed as Iqbal
Park, after poet Dr Iqbal who first gave the idea of a separate Muslim
country for the Muslims of the British India. The minar was
architectured by Naseer ud Din Mira’at Khan who was a graduate of St.
Petersburg University and originally belonged to Daghistan, USSR. He came
to Pakistan and married here. From 1953-58 he was consultant to the
Government of Pakistan on construction and was the man behind the
designing of Police Training College, Sihala, Qadaffi Stadium Lahore and
many other buildings. It i s said that in early 1963,President Ayub Khan
called Mr. Mira’at in governor house Lahore and took out fountain pen
from his pocket and placed it vertically on the table and asked Mr.
Mira’at that he wanted a monument “burj (the word he used)” like
this to be build. The design approved by the President was built under the
personal supervision of Mr. Mira’at by Mian Abdul Khaliq and Company.
The Minar was completed on 31 October 1968 at an estimated cost of Rs. 7.5
million. The money was collected by imposing additional tax on the cinema
and horse racing tickets
The base of the tower is
raised approximately 4 meters from the ground. It rises up to
approximately 13 metres. forming a sculpted, flower-like base. From this
point it tapers as it rises. The base platform is shaped like a 5-point
star and it encloses crescent shaped pools. The overall height of
the monument is approximately 60 meters. It is constructed in reinforced
concrete, all poured in-situ. The floors and walls are rendered in stone
and marble. From base to some 181 feet height, concrete and steel has been
used, while the top 16.5 feet portion is made of stainless steel to avoid
it from corrosion. The lower portion / base is made of coarse marble,
indicating the initial rough days of independence, while walls and
upper portion have smooth marble showing gradual development and
prosperity. On the base, all around the Minar are ten marble slabs of
seven feet tall and two feet in width, on with 99 names of Allah have been
written. Other inscriptions include excerpts from the speeches of Mr.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan related to ideology of
Pakistan, in Urdu, Bengali and English, besides the National Anthem in
Urdu and Bengali and a verse from Dr Allama Iqbal. Some Quranic verses (Surah
Baqarah, Surah Al e Imran, Surah Myedah and Surah Ra’ad) have also been
inscribed. On the main entrance “Allah o Akbar (Allah is the Greatest)
and “Minar-e-Pakistan” are inscribed.
There are 324 stairs to go
to the top, besides a lift. The first balcony is 30 feet high, second at
50 feet. There is a separate “Chabootra” abou 12 feet high some
distance away from the Minar, on which Quranic aya “Allah al mashriaq
wal maghrab” is inscribed. The resting place of Hafeez Jalandhari, the
writer of the national
anthem of Pakistan, is also in the courtyard of the minar. The Mianr
was initially named “Yadgar-e-Pakistan” but was later rightly renamed
as “Minar-e-Pakistan”. For architectural details
The Minar-e-Pakistan or
“Pakistan Day Memorial” has been erected as a monument in
commemoration of the Lahore Resolution in Iqbal Park. This is the site
where in 1940 the Muslim League held its historic 34th annual session and
demanded a separate homeland for Muslims.
The base of the tower is raised
approximately 4m. from the ground. It rises up to approximately 13m.
forming a sculpted, flower-like base. From this point it tapers as it
rises. The base platform is shaped like a 5-point star and it encloses
crescent shaped pools.
The overall height of the monument is
approximately 60m. It is constructed in re-enforced concrete, all poured
in-situ. The floors and walls are rendered in stone and marble.
The Minar-e-Pakistan or “Pakistan Day Memorial” has been erected as a
monument in commemoration of the Lahore Resolution in Iqbal Park. This is
the site where in 1940 the Muslim League held its historic 34th annual
session and demanded a separate homeland for Muslims.
The base of the tower is raised
approximately 4m. from the ground. It rises up to approximately 13m.
forming a sculpted, flower-like base. From this point it tapers as it
rises. The base platform is shaped like a 5-point star and it encloses
crescent shaped pools.
The overall height of the monument is
approximately 60m. It is constructed in re-inforced concrete, all poured
in-situ. The floors and walls are rendered in stone and marble. |
