NATIONAL MONUMENT OF PAKISTAN

Bab-e-Pakistan

The Bab-e-Pakistan (Urdu: Gateway of Pakistan is a national monument in Lahore, Pakistan which is being built on the site of one of the major refugee camps which operated in the aftermath of Partition of India.^[1] The memorial was proposed in 1985, by the late military Governor of Punjab, Lieutenant General Ghulam Jillani and was approved immediately by the military president, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. The monument is designed by a Lahore based architect Amjad Mukhtar, who is a graduate from National College of Arts, Lahore. The project experienced some difficulty in getting started because of the unstable political situation following the death of Zia in 1988. A second attempt was made in 1991 with the support of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif but again the project was stalled.^[1] The third attempt has been during the administration of President Pervez Musharraf.^[2] Construction work has now started and is due to be completed by August 2009.^[3]

NAME: BAB-E-PAKISTAN
TYPE: Monument
CONSTRUCTION START: March 23, 2005
CONSTRUCTION END: September, 2007
LOCATION: Near Walton Road, Lahore
COST: Rs 400 million


The design of Bab-e-Pakistan would be reflective of national identity, Islamic history and the epic struggle of Muslims of the Sub-continent for the achievement of independence. The monument is being constructed at the place where the first refugee camp was set up at Walton in Lahore on August 14, 1947. Bab-e-Pakistan project would help us remember the sacrifice made by Muslims during Independence. the monument would be a masterpiece of Islamic architecture.