Pakistan Flag Information


The national flag of Pakistan (Urdu: پاکستان کا قومی پرچم) was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, just three days before the country's independence, when it became the official flag of the Dominion of Pakistan. 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', 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.
The flag is referred to in the national anthem as Parcham-e-Sitāra-o-Hilāl in Persian (lit. Flag of the Crescent and Star). It is flown on several important days of the year including Republic Day and Independence Day. 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 men who would run the new Pakistan government. The Pakistan government adopted his design on August 11, 1947. The Pakistan government has pronounced rules about the flying of the Pakistan flag. The government has called for display of the flag at full mast on March 23 of each year. That display recognizes both the adoption of the Lahore Resolution in 1940 and the Declaration of the Republic of Pakistan in 1956. Flag raisers in Pakistan also make a point of hoisting the flag each year on the fourteenth day of August. That is considered to be Pakistan’s Independence Day. Pakistan became free of British control on August 14, 1947.

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 partition of India led to the creation of Dominion of Pakistan, the flag of the Muslim League served as the basis for the flag of Pakistan.
The green represents the majority Muslim community in Pakistan, whereas the white stripe represents religious minorities In the centre, the crescent and star symbolize progress and light respectively. The flag symbolizes Pakistan's commitment to Islam, the Islamic world, and the rights of religious minorities.It is based on the original flag of the Muslim League, which itself drew inspiration from the flag of the Sultanate of Delhi and the Mughal Empire in India. Some analists say if Kashmir goes to the Republic of India or declares itself independent then the colour should be changed to black.

Design

Diagram of the flag's 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 size of the white portion being one-fourth the size of the flag [C], nearest the mast, the remainder three-fourths being dark green [D].

Construction

Draw a diagonal L3 from the top right hand corner to the bottom left corner of the green portion. On this diagonal establish two points P1 and P2. P1 is positioned at the centre of the green portion and P2 at the intersection of the diagonal L3 and an arc C4 created from the top right hand corner equal to 13/20th the height of the flag [E]. With the centre at point P1 and a radius 3/10th the height of the flag describe the first circle C1 and with centre at point P2 and a radius 11/40th the height of the flag describe a second circle C2. The enclosures made by these two circles form the crescent. The dimensions of the five-pointed white heraldic star are determined by drawing a circle C3 with a radius 1/10 the height of the flag positioned between P2 and P3 on the diagonal L3. The circle surrounds the five points of the heraldic star and star lies with one point on the diagonal L3 at point P3 where the circle C1 intersects the diagonal L3.

Dimensions

The Interior Ministry of Pakistan provides dimensions for flags in different circumstances:
  • For ceremonial occasions. 21' x 14', 18' x 12', 10' x 6-2/3' or 9' x 6 1/4.
  • For use over buildings. 6' x 4' or 3' x 2'.
  • For cars 24" x 16".
  • For tables 10 1/4" x 8 1/4".

National flag protocols

Use Civil ensign Civil ensign
Proportion 2:3
Design A red field with the national flag in the canton.
  • No other flag must fly higher (except the United Nations flag at United Nations buildings).
  • When displayed or flown alongside other national flags, the National Flag must be displayed or flown at the same height as the other national flags, never lower.
  • When displayed alongside provincial, military or corporate flags, the National Flag must be higher.
  • When tied to a mast, it must be tied only at the left (at the beginning of the white bar) and left to fly freely without any obstruction.
  • Must not touch the ground, shoes or feet or anything unclean.
  • Must never be flown in darkness.
  • Must be raised at dawn and lowered at dusk (except on the Parliament of Pakistan, which is the only official building on which the flag is never lowered). When flown over the Parliament of Pakistan at night, it must always remain alit with artificial light
  •  
  • Must not be marked with anything (including words or pictures).
  • When raising: (i) must be saluted to by all uniformed personnel, (ii) others must stand in attention.
  • Must be raised or lowered ceremoniously.
  • Must never be displayed vertically.
  • When displayed horizontally, the white strip must always be at the left, with green field on the right.
  • Must not fly or be displayed upside down or with the crescent and star facing left.
  • Must not be displayed anywhere where it is likely to get dirty.
  • Must not be set on fire or trampled upon.
  • Must not be buried or lowered into a grave (when burying a flag-bearing casket, the National Flag must be detached from the casket and held above the grave as the casket is lowered or removed from the casket before burial).

Flag flying days

Date Position Reason
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. The national flag is flown on the official residences and vehicles (cars, boats, planes) of the following public officials:
Office Flag on Official Residence Flag on Vehicles
The President of Pakistan Yes Yes
The Prime Minister of Pakistan 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 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

Awards and recognitions

  • In August 2004, Pakistan unfurled a 340x510 (173,400 square foot) foot National flag. The country held the record for producing the world's largest flag. It was rolled out in National Stadium Karachi in 2004.

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