It’s 23rd March, the day, also called Yaum e Pakistan, AKA Resolution Day. But why is this day so significant?
1. What is Pakistan Day?
Pakistan Resolution was initially known as the Lahore Resolution. It was passed on March 23rd 1940 by the All-India Muslim League at Minto Park. It was the first step to Pakistan because the idea of a separate nation was officially accepted for the first time.
credits: Dawn
PS. can you recognize anyone in the photo above?
2. How Long Did It Take To Build Minar-e-Pakistan?
Minar-e-Pakistan commemorates the day when the resolution was passed. The monumental building took 8 years to complete. Historic!
3. Another Name For The Lahore Resolution?
The Lahore Resolution is also referred to as the ‘Father Document’ of Pakistan because it is the ONLY idea that was discussed & agreed upon by all the leaders.
4. What Was Pakistan Day Initially Called?
The Resolution was passed during the second day of a three-day session held from 22-24 March. The Resolution was signed on the third day. Pakistan Day was initially called Republic Day. The word Pakistan was not used when the resolution was passed for a separate state in 1940.
5. Where Are The Contents Of The Resolution Now?
The contents of the Resolution are prominently carved out on Minar-e-Pakistan which is built in Iqbal Park, Lahore as a memory to mark the Lahore Resolution.
It was completed in 1968 on the venue where the ‘Pakistan Resolution’ was passed in 1940. This monument symbolizes a blossoming flower and serves as an ode to independence.
6. How Were The Funds To Build Minar-e-Pakistan Raised?
A document summarizing the funding and expenditures for Minar-e-Pakistan shows that to raise part of the funds, a tax of 5 paisa was levied on cinema tickets and 50 paisa on race course tickets.
7. When & Where Was The First Pakistan Day Parade Held?
The first Pakistan Day parade was held in Karachi on 23 March, 1956 which was the capital at that time. It is now held at Constitution Avenue in Islamabad. An award ceremony is held every 23rd March where the president gives military and civilian awards to recognize achievements and worthy contributions to the nation.
8. How Is The Day Marked As A Special Occasion?
Pakistan’s national flag is hoisted on public and governmental buildings at dawn on Pakistan Day. A 31-gun salute in Islamabad and a 21-gun salute in provincial capitals is fired. A change of guard occurs at the mausoleums of legendary poet & thinker Allama Iqbal in Lahore and founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam in Karachi, followed by a laying of garlands.
9. Who built Minar-e-Pakistan?
Born in Dagestan (then part of the Russian Empire) in 1904, Nasreddin Murat-Khan made Pakistan his final home in 1950. An engineer & architect by profession, he took refuge in Germany after fleeing the communist govt. in Russia. He married Hamida Akmut, a Pakistani of Turkish & Austrian origins, whose father Abdul Hafiz sponsored his immigration into Pakistan. Nasreddin contributed to the field of engineering and architecture in the Russian Federation, Germany and then Pakistan. Among his architectural legacies are the Minar-e-Pakistan and the original Gaddafi Stadium, Fortress Stadium & other buildings in Lahore. He donated his architecture & designing fee to the monument.
He was awarded the President’s Pride of Performance Award, Tamgha-e-Imtiaz in 1963. This was awarded for his contribution to the architecture in Pakistan, chiefly designing and building the iconic Minar-e-Pakistan. This is the highest civilian award in Pakistan.
Happy Pakistan Day everyone – Pakistan Zindabad!
Some facts on Pakistan Day have been sourced from Propergaanda, UrduPoint and Google Arts & Culture, Citizens Archive.
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