Flag of Pakistan

Pakistan
Name Parc̱am-e Sitārah o-Hilāl (Flag of the Crescent and Star)
Use National flag
Proportion 2:3
Adopted 11th of August 1947
Design A white star and crescent on a dark green field, with a vertical white stripe at the hoist
Designed by Amiruddin Kidwai

The national flag of Pakistan (Urdu: قومی پرچم, Qaumī Pārc̱am) was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, just four days before the country's independence, when it became the official flag of the Dominion of Pakistan.[1][2][3] It was afterwards retained by the current-day Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The flag is a green field with a white crescent moon and five-rayed star at its centre, and a vertical white stripe at the hoist side. Though the green colour is mandated only as 'dark green',[4] its official and most consistent representation is Pakistan green, which is shaded distinctively darker. The flag was designed by Amiruddin Kidwai, and is based on the All-India Muslim League flag.[5]

The flag is referred to in the national anthem as the Flag of the Crescent and Star. It is flown on several important days of the year including Republic Day, Independence Day and Defence Day. It is often hoisted every morning at schools, offices and government buildings to the sound of the national anthem and lowered again before sunset. A notable flag raising and lowering ceremony is carried out each day with great pomp and enthusiasm at the Wagah Border attended by hundreds of spectators. A designer named Amiruddin Kidwai studied the League’s flag, as he tried to design a flag for a new, independent nation. Finally he arrived at a design, and he presented it to the leadership of the Muslim League who subsequently adopted his design as the flag of the Dominion of Pakistan on 11 August, 1947. The government of Pakistan has pronounced rules about the flying of the flag. It is to be displayed at full mast on 23 March of each year, marking the adoption of the Lahore Resolution in 1940's and the Declaration of the Republic of Pakistan in 1956, and on 14 August in celebration of Independence Day, when Pakistan was carved out from British India as a home for Indian Muslims. The flag of Pakistan is also mentioned in Pakistan's own national anthem in the third verse reading "پرچمِ ستاره و ہلال رہبرِ ترقّی و کمال" which translates to "Flag with the Star and Crescent, the leader of progress and ascent".

History and symbolism

Before the Second World War, Muslims and Hindus lived together under the British Raj. A number of the Muslims formed the All India Muslim League. After the Second World War, when the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the flag of the Muslim League served as the basis for the flag of Pakistan.

The green represents Islam and the majority Muslims in Pakistan and the white stripe represents religious minorities and minority religions.[6] In the centre, the crescent and star symbolizes progress and light respectively.[6] The flag symbolizes Pakistan's commitment to Islam and the rights of religious minorities.[7] It is based on the original flag of the Muslim League, which itself drew inspiration from the flag of the Sultanate of Delhi, the flag of Ottoman Empire and the Flag of the Mughal Empire.

Design

The official design of the national flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly together with a definition of the features and proportions.

According to the specifications it is a dark green rectangular flag in the proportion of length [A] and width [B] as 3:2 with a white vertical bar at the mast, the green portion bearing a white crescent in the centre and a five-pointed white heraldic star. The width of the white portion [C] is one quarter the width of the flag [A], nearest the mast, so the green portion occupies the remaining three quarters [D].

Dimensions

The Interior Ministry of Pakistan provides dimensions for flags in different circumstances:

National flag protocols

Pakistan (variants)
Use Civil ensign
Proportion 2:3
Design A red field with the national flag in the canton.

Variant flag of Pakistan (variants)
Use Naval ensign
Proportion 1:2
Design A lengthened version of the national flag.

Flag flying days

Date Position Reason[8]
March 23 Full-mast Pakistan Day: Adoption of the Lahore Resolution (1940) and declaration of the Islamic Republic (1956)
April 21 Half-mast Death Anniversary of the National Poet, Muhammad Iqbal (1938)
August 14 Full-mast Independence Day (1947)
September 11 Half-mast Death Anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1948)
December 25 Full-mast Birthday of Muhammad Ali Jinnah (1876)

Use by public officials

The use of the national flag is regulated by the Pakistan Flag Rules, which were introduced in 2002 by Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali. The Rules are not available online but there have been instances of misuse such as officials using flags on their vehicles when they are not entitled to do so.[9][10] The national flag is flown on the official residences and vehicles (cars, boats, planes) of the following public officials:[8]

Office Flag on Official Residence Flag on Vehicles
The President of Pakistan[11] Yes Yes
The Prime Minister of Pakistan[11] Yes Yes
The Chairman of the Senate Yes Yes
The Speaker of the National Assembly Yes Yes
The Chief Justice of Pakistan Yes Yes
The Chief Justice of the Federal Shariat Court Yes Yes
The Governors of the Provinces Yes Yes
Federal Ministers (and officials entitled to the privileges of Federal Ministers) Yes Yes
The Chief Ministers of the Provinces Yes Yes
The Ministers of the Provinces Yes
The Chief Election Commissioner Yes
The Deputy Chairman of the Senate Yes
The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Yes
The Speakers of the Provincial Assemblies Yes
The Chief Justices of the High Courts Yes
Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Pakistan Yes Yes
Commissioners of Divisions, Deputy Commissioners and Political Agents Yes

Milestones

See also

References

  1. "Pakistan Flag specification: Resolution Passed by Constituent Assembly". Pakistan.org. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  2. "Parliamentary History". National Assembly of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  3. "Parliamentary History of Pakistan" (PDF). Parliamentary Division, Government of Pakistan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  4. "Government of Pakistan: Flag description". Pakistan.gov.pk. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  5. "National Flag and Anthem". Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Tokyo. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  6. 1 2 "Pakistan flag". Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of Pakistan. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  7. "Basic Facts". Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of Pakistan. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  8. 1 2 "Pakistan Flag". Ministry of the Interior, Government of Pakistan. Archived from the original on 2007-11-14. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  9. "Secs and advisers can’t fly flags on cars, homes". Daily Times of Pakistan. 2005-10-21. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  10. "National flag 'not being misused'". Dawn Group of Newspapers. 2005-01-13. Retrieved 2007-12-11.
  11. 1 2 Note:- The President and the Prime Minister may fly a personal flag in addition to the National Flag.
  12. http://www.nation.com.pk/national/15-Feb-2014/pakistan-breaks-world-record-for-largest-human-flag
  13. http://epaper.dawn.com/DetailNews.php?StoryText=16_02_2014_003_006
  14. "Pakistan sets another record for world’s largest flag". Tribune. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2013. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  15. Flag superlatives
  16. YouTube - Worlds Largest Flag

Further reading

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