ISLAMABAD, Apr 10 (APP): The Golden Jubilee Convention of the 1973 Constitution on Monday declared the old National Assembly Hall in the State Bank building as the National Heritage.
The resolution was presented by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and unanimously adopted by the Convention held at the National Assembly Hall.
The resolution declared National Assembly Hall in the State Bank Building in Islamabad as National Heritage and recognized its cultural and historic significance to Pakistan on the occasion of Golden Jubilee celebrations of the 1973 Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The resolution directed the relevant government agencies to take immediate steps to restore the National Assembly Hall in the State Bank Building to its former glory and ensure that it is maintained in good condition for posterity.
The resolution expressed the resolve that the National Assembly Hall in the State Bank Building be used for at least one session in a parliamentary year, as a venue to commemorate the democratic traditions and to reinforce the values that underpinned the nation’s political system.
It further directed that a report on the progress made in the restoration of the NA Hall in the State Bank Building be submitted to the National Assembly before the 1st August, 2023.
The resolution called upon all stakeholders, including civil society organizations, cultural institutions, and the general public, to support the restoration and preservation of the National Assembly Hall in the State Bank Building as National Heritage.
The Convention urged all Members of the Parliament to support this resolution and take the necessary steps to restore the National Assembly Hall in the State Bank Building as a National Heritage and a fitting venue for the nation’s Parliament to convene.
It also appreciated the efforts of the Speaker National Assembly in retrieving and restoring the original portrait of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah from the State Bank Building and re-displaying it in the National Assembly Hall, Parliament House on the occasion of 75th Anniversary celebrations of Pakistan and Parliament held in August 2022.
The resolution said, the National Assembly Hall in the State Bank Building served as the National Assembly from 14th April, 1972 to 26th May, 1986, briefly in 1993 and has been closely associated with the country’s democratic traditions.
The National Assembly Hall in the State Bank Building served as the historic venue where the debates, discussions and passage of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 took place 50 years ago.
The National Assembly Hall in the State Bank Building witnessed three Prime Ministers, four Presidents, and five Speakers/Deputy Speakers during the tenure of the 5th (1972), 6th (1977), 7th (1985) and 10th (1993) National Assembly held there.
The National Assembly Hall in the State Bank Building witnessed the gathering of Pakistan’s first directly elected MNAs on the 14th April, 1972.
The National Assembly Hall in the State Bank Building witnessed adoption of the Interim Constitution of 1972 and the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973.
The State Bank Building was also briefly the office of the first Prime Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The National Assembly Hall in the State Bank Building has been out of use for three decades and is in a state of disrepair, and is in dire need of restoration to preserve it for future generations.
The restoration of the National Assembly Hall in the State Bank Building will not only preserve a significant piece of Pakistan’s history but will also provide a fitting venue for the nation’s Parliament to convene, and foster greater awareness and appreciation of democratic traditions and institutions.
