Minar-e-Pakistan (Urdu: مینارِ پاکستان / ALA-LC: Mīnār-i Pākistān, literally "Tower of 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 at the time of British colonial rule over British India passed the Lahore Resolution, the first official call for a separate homeland for the Muslims living in South Asia, in accordance with the two-nation theory.
The tower reflects a blend of Mughal/Islamic and modern architecture.
The tower was designed and supervised by Nasreddin Murat-Khan, an architect and engineer hailing from Daghistan.[2] The structural design was performed 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. Construction took eight years, and 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 cinema and horse racing tickets at the demand of Akhtar Hussain, governor of West Pakistan. Today, the minaret provides a panoramic view to visitors who can't climb up the stairs or access the top by means of an elevator. The parks around the monument include marble fountains and an artificial lake.
