Pakistan Day, also called Pakistan Resolution Day or Youm-e-Pakistan, is held every year on 23 March. The next one is on Tuesday, March 23, 2027, 168 days from today. It remembers two events: the Lahore Resolution, moved on 23 March 1940 and adopted the next day, and the adoption of Pakistan’s first constitution on 23 March 1956, when the country became the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
What was the Lahore Resolution?
In March 1940 the All-India Muslim League held its annual session in Lahore, at Minto Park, the ground that is now called Iqbal Park (Greater Iqbal Park), near Badshahi Mosque. Muhammad Ali Jinnah presided over the session.
The resolution was moved by A. K. Fazlul Huq, then Chief Minister of Bengal. It called for the areas of British India where Muslims were in a majority, in the north-west and the east, to be grouped into independent states. The word “Pakistan” does not appear in the text, but the press soon began calling it the Pakistan Resolution, and the name stuck.
Seven years later, in 1947, Pakistan became independent. 2027 marks 87 years since the resolution.
Why 1956 matters too
For its first nine years, Pakistan was governed under an adapted version of the Government of India Act 1935, with the British monarch as head of state. The first constitution came into force on 23 March 1956. It declared Pakistan an Islamic Republic, and the Governor-General was replaced by a President. The date was chosen deliberately to link the new constitution to the Lahore Resolution.
That constitution was abrogated in 1958, and Pakistan has had two more since then (1962 and 1973). But 23 March kept its place as a national day.
Minar-e-Pakistan
The tall tower in Iqbal Park, Minar-e-Pakistan, was built where the 1940 session that passed the resolution was held. Construction began in 1960 and finished in 1968. The base is shaped like a flower, and plaques around it carry the text of the resolution in several languages, along with the national anthem and verses of Allama Iqbal.
The Minar is one of Lahore’s best-known landmarks. On Pakistan Day it is lit up and draws large crowds.
How Pakistan Day is observed
- Joint services parade: the armed forces hold a parade in Islamabad, with flypasts by the air force, marching contingents and displays of military equipment. Foreign leaders are sometimes invited as chief guests.
- Gun salutes and prayers: the day starts with gun salutes in the federal and provincial capitals and special prayers for the country.
- Civil awards: the President confers national civil awards, such as the Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Pride of Performance, at an investiture ceremony around Pakistan Day. The names are announced on 14 August of the previous year.
- Public holiday: government offices, banks and schools are closed.
Why the resolution still matters
Students in Pakistan study the Lahore Resolution as the turning point when the demand for a separate homeland became the official goal of the Muslim League. Historians have long debated the plural word “States” in the original text and what it meant for the eastern and western regions, a debate that gained new meaning after East Pakistan became Bangladesh in 1971. Whatever the interpretation, 23 March is the day Pakistanis mark as the moment the idea of Pakistan was formally put forward.
Pakistan Day in the next few years
| Year | Date | Day | Years since 1940 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | 23 March | Tuesday | 87 |
| 2028 | 23 March | Thursday | 88 |
| 2029 | 23 March | Friday | 89 |
| 2030 | 23 March | Saturday | 90 |
When 23 March falls on a Friday or Monday, many families get a three-day weekend. You can check any date on the day of the week calculator, or follow the Pakistan Day countdown.
Pakistan Day and Ramadan
Because the Islamic calendar moves about 11 days earlier each year, Ramadan has been falling in March in the mid-2020s. When Pakistan Day lands during Ramadan, the parade and events still go ahead, though public gatherings are usually scaled to fit the fasting day. Many people also visit the Minar-e-Pakistan on Pakistan Day itself, and families combine the trip with nearby Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort. For other key days of the year, see Pakistan public holidays in 2027 and the holiday countdowns.
Frequently asked questions
Why is 23 March celebrated in Pakistan?
It marks the Lahore Resolution, moved on 23 March 1940, which called for separate Muslim-majority states, and the first constitution of 23 March 1956, which made Pakistan an Islamic Republic.
Who presented the Lahore Resolution?
It was moved by A. K. Fazlul Huq, Chief Minister of Bengal, at the All-India Muslim League session in Lahore presided over by Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Where was the Lahore Resolution passed?
At Minto Park in Lahore, now Iqbal Park, where the Minar-e-Pakistan stands today.
Is 23 March a public holiday?
Yes. Pakistan Day is a national public holiday, and government offices, banks and schools close.