Minar-i-Pakistan stands aloft in Iqbal Park, across the road from the historic Badshahi Masjid and the Lahore Fort, symbolising the spirit and struggle launched by the Muslims under the principled leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for the creation of a separate homeland.

The concept of such a homeland, presented by Dr Mohammad Iqbal at the 25th All India Muslim League session at Allahabad on December 29, 1930, was set down in concrete terms at the historic session of March 22–24, 1940, at Minto Park. That vision was realised within just seven years. The Minar commemorates the men, women and children who struggled and sacrificed for this cause at the very site where the Resolution was adopted on March 23, 1940. To mark this defining moment, March 23 is celebrated annually as Pakistan Day through meetings, seminars and rallies, culminating in a military parade in Islamabad. In 2026, however, celebrations were subdued as official functions were curtailed under austerity measures owing to ongoing regional tensions.

A visit to the Minar at any time of the year, particularly in March, rekindles the........

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