By MADIHA VIQUAR
The Pakistan Monument is a national monument situated in Islamabad. The monument itself is a work of exquisite craftsmanship, but even more splendid is the museum built near it, known as the Pakistan Monument Museum.
Pakistan Monument Museum was inaugurated on 4th November, 2010 by His Excellency Pir Aftab Hussain Shah Jillani, the Federal Minister for Culture. The monument was designed by artists from the Gachrang School of Art and Design, and took approximately 1, 19, 000 man hours to be completed. It is in the shape of petals, where each petal measures 45ft x 78ft. Then is the museum, which presents the entire history of Pakistan, right from the occupation at Mehrgarh dating as early as 7000 BC, to the creation of Pakistan in 1947. The most extraordinary thing about this museum is that it has replicated all the significant historical civilizations, events and individuals of, and related to Pakistan. The museum is a true and extensive portrayal of our history and a very informative site especially for those who want to know about our country and its heritage. It illustrates our history chronologically, starting from Mehrgarh and moving on to the Indus Valley Civilization, the kingdom of Gandhara, the advent of Islam in the subcontinent, the arrival of Sufism, the rule of the Mughal Empire, and finally the freedom movement. The symbolic events of the Independence Movement such as Allama Iqbal’s address at Allahabad, the Lahore Resolution, the Gandhi Jinnah talks and the 3rd June Plan have also been depicted in this museum. Pakistan Monument Museum is truly a magnificent site and one must not only visit it, but if possible, survey it.
Published in Young Nation magazine on October 15, 2016