Flag of Pakistan
The national flag of Pakistan 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 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. The leadership of the Muslim League adopted 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 the 1940s 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 which translates to "Flag with the Star and Crescent, the leader of progress and ascent".
History
Before the Second World War, Muslims and Hindus lived together under various kings which they called "Raja" hence 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.Symbolism
The green represents the Muslim majority in Pakistan and the white stripe represents religious minorities. The crescent represents progress and the five-pointed star represents light and knowledge. The flag symbolizes Pakistan's commitment to Islam and the rights of religious minorities.The Pakistan Flag 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 and width 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 is one quarter the length of the flag , nearest the mast, so the green portion occupies the remaining three quarters .
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 13/20 the height of the flag . With the centre at point P1 and a radius 3/10 the height of the flag describe the first circle C1 and with centre at point P2 and a radius 11/40 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.
The flag is colored in Pakistan green having standard RGB values or with hex triplet #006600 or the HSV value =. The left strip, the star and the crescent are painted in white. The flag is supported from left white side.
Dimensions
The Interior Ministry of Pakistan provides dimensions for flags in different circumstances:- For ceremonial occasions: 24′ × 16′, 21′ × 14′, 18′ × 12′, 11′ × ′ or 9′ × ′.
- For use over buildings: 6′ × 4′ or 3′ × 2′.
- For cars: 24″ × 16″.
- For tables: ″ × ″.
Colour scheme
National flag protocols
- No other flag or colour must fly higher.
- 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.
- If there are two flags or colours, the National Flag should be flown at the right. In case the number of flags is more than two and odd, the National Flag should be placed in the centre, and if the number of flags is even it should be flown the first to the right of the centre.
- 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 and left to fly freely without any obstruction.
- In a procession, the National Flag shall be carried at the centre or at the right of the procession in the line of march.
- 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. When flown over the Parliament of Pakistan at night, it must always remain alit with artificial light.
- Must not be marked with anything.
- When raising or lowering: must be saluted to by all uniformed personnel, others must stand in attention.
- Must be raised or lowered ceremoniously.
- When displayed horizontally, the white strip must always be on the left, with green field on the right
- When displayed vertically, the white strip must always be at the top, with green field at the bottom.
- 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.
Flag flying days
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 of the following public officials:| Office | Flag on Official Residence | Flag on Vehicles |
| The President of Pakistan | ||
| The Prime Minister of Pakistan | ||
| The Chairman of the Senate | ||
| The Speaker of the National Assembly | ||
| The Chief Justice of Pakistan | ||
| The Chief Justice of the Federal Shariat Court | ||
| The Governors of the Provinces | ||
| Federal Ministers | ||
| The Chief Ministers of the Provinces | ||
| The Ministers of the Provinces | ||
| The Chief Election Commissioner | ||
| The Deputy Chairman of the Senate | ||
| The Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly | ||
| The Speakers of the Provincial Assemblies | ||
| The Chief Justices of the High Courts | ||
| Ambassadors and High Commissioners of Pakistan | ||
| Commissioners of Divisions, Deputy Commissioners and Political Agents |
Milestones
- 2017 – On 14 August, People of Balochistan hosted a 2-mile-long flag of Pakistan in Quetta.
- 2014 – On 15 February, 29,040 people gathered in a stadium in Lahore to form the flag of Pakistan and set a new world record for forming the world's largest national flag comprising humans, which was certified by Guinness World Records.
- 2012 – On 22 October, 24,200 people gathered in a stadium in Lahore to form the flag of Pakistan and set a new world record for forming the world's largest national flag comprising humans, which was certified by Guinness World Records.
- 2004 – In August, a 340 × 510 ft flag of Pakistan was unfurled at the National Stadium Karachi, setting the world record for the largest flag.
- 1947 – On the night of 14 August 1947, a group of Indian Boy Scouts were in France when the news reached them that their country had become independent. Mohammad Iqbal Qureshi was one of the Muslim boy scouts who with the help of his friends turned a green turban into a Pakistani flag and unfurled it. 15 August 1947 was the first time when the Pakistani flag flew on foreign soil.