The Pakistani Flag

The Pakistan Flag was designed by Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.

Historically, the Pakistan Flag has associations with the flag which was hoisted at Dhaka on December 30, 1906, when a meeting of the leaders representing the various Muslim political organizations of the South-Asian subcontinent was held and, as a result of the deliberations on the occasion, the All-India Muslim League was formed as the premier political organization of the Muslims. The flag used at Dhaka was green in color with a white crescent and star in the center. In the forty years of political struggle that followed the meeting at Dhaka, this flag was used continuously by the Muslim League as an emblem of the political aspirations of the Muslim community. When these aspirations were fulfilled and Pakistan was established, it was felt that it would be in the fitness of things to incorporate the motif of this flag into National Flag of Pakistan.

It was announced on July 18, 1947, that the British Government had accepted the demand for the establishment of the Sovereign State of Pakistan with effect from the 14th August, 1947. The Constituent Assembly of Pakistan met on the 11th of August, 1947 and approved it when Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, presented the National Flag to the Constituent Assembly. In the course of his speech on the occasion, Mr. Liaquat Ali Khan observed: "Mr. President, the flag, it will be noticed, is not the flag of any one political party or any one community. The flag is the flag of Pakistani nation, of the Pakistan State, which has to come into existence on the 14th of August, 1947. It can say without any fear of contradiction that this flag which I have honor to present to this House, will stand for freedom, liberty and equality for those who owe allegiance to this Flag of Pakistan. Mr. President, this flag will be a flag of freedom not only for the people of Pakistan; this flag will be an emblem of peace and help in maintaining peace throughout the world."

The National Flag of Pakistan is dark green in color with a white vertical bar, a white crescent in the center and a five-pointed star. The significance of the color and symbols used in the Pakistan Flag is as follows:

• The white and dark green field represents peace and prosperity.
• The crescent on the Flag represents progress.
• The five-rayed star represents light and knowledge.