Minar-e Pakistan: a concrete tower over Lahore’s defining resolution
Published on 08/23/2026 at 11:51 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Minar-e Pakistan in Lahore stands where the Lahore Resolution of 23 March 1940 was passed, its concrete tower rising from Greater Iqbal Park as a physical marker of that decision. Designed in the 1960s by architect Nasreddin Murat-Khan and completed in 1968, it combines reinforced concrete and stone in a form that has become shorthand for Pakistan’s creation story.
A tower rooted in the Lahore Resolution
The Lahore Resolution was adopted on 23 March 1940 at Minto Park, the open ground that later became Greater Iqbal Park, calling for a separate homeland for Muslims in British India.Lahore Resolution of 23 March 1940 Minar-e Pakistan marks that specific patch of ground, turning a political gathering into a permanent point on the city’s map. The monument stands within Greater Iqbal Park in central Lahore, enclosed by lawns and walkways, with the older Mughal core of the city nearby.Greater Iqbal Park in Lahore
The tower was commissioned in the early 1960s, two decades after the resolution, once the new state had taken shape and sought a national monument that could embody that moment.tower was built in the 1960s Construction began in 1960 and the structure reached completion in 1968, adding a modern concrete silhouette to a city long defined by Mughal domes and brick ramparts.foundation stone in 1960 and completion in 1968
Architecture in concrete, marble and symbolism
Nasreddin Murat-Khan, a Pakistani-Russian architect, developed the design as a blend of Mughal references and modern structural techniques, using reinforced concrete as the main frame with marble and stone cladding at key levels.designed and supervised by Nasreddin Murat-Khan The tower rises to roughly 70 m (about 230 ft), high enough to stand clear above the surrounding trees and nearby parkland.70-meter tall tower Visitors approaching from the park see a flaring base, a narrowing concrete shaft and a viewing level near the top that reads as a ring when silhouetted against the sky.
The structure stands on a star-shaped platform, with radiating terraces stepping down towards the lawns of Greater Iqbal Park.star-shaped platform Reinforced concrete provides the structural strength, while surfaces of marble and other stone pick out plinths, balustrades and interior walls.constructed in reinforced concrete The combination of materials ties the tower both to earlier stone monuments and to the concrete flyovers and civic buildings that expanded across Lahore in the decades after independence.
Inscriptions, inner spaces and the surrounding park
At the base of Minar-e Pakistan, marble slabs carry inscriptions that set out the political and religious texts connected with the Pakistan Movement.white marble commemorative plaques The Lahore Resolution appears alongside passages from the Qur’an, the national anthem, speeches by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and verses by poet-philosopher Muhammad Iqbal, creating a compact open-air archive at the foot of the concrete shaft.Jinnah and Iqbal texts on plaques For visitors, the base is therefore as much a reading space as a viewing platform.
Inside, a stairway climbs within the tower, with several hundred steps leading upwards, while a lift has been installed as an alternative way to reach the higher level.staircase and lift inside The interior is compact, reflecting the narrow footprint of the shaft, and arrival at the upper gallery opens views over Greater Iqbal Park, with Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque visible beyond the trees in clear weather.just north of Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque
Visiting Minar-e Pakistan: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Minar-e Pakistan stands in Greater Iqbal Park in central Lahore, a short walk north of Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque, with road access from the Circular Road area.
- The monument rises from a star-shaped concrete and stone platform with broad steps and sloping terraces, so reaching the tower involves walking across open paved levels.
- Inside the tower, a stairway with several hundred steps climbs in a confined vertical shaft, and a lift has been fitted as an alternative for reaching the upper viewing level.
- The official language is Urdu and the currency is the Pakistani rupee.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Minar-e Pakistan
Where is Minar-e Pakistan located in Lahore?
Minar-e Pakistan stands inside Greater Iqbal Park in central Lahore, just north of Lahore Fort and Badshahi Mosque.
What can visitors expect at the monument?
Visitors find a tall concrete and marble tower with a star-shaped platform, interior stairway, lift and marble plaques carrying texts linked to the Pakistan Movement.
What makes Minar-e Pakistan distinctive among Lahore’s landmarks?
Minar-e Pakistan combines a 1960s reinforced-concrete tower with inscriptions of the 1940 Lahore Resolution on the exact park site where that resolution was passed.
