Flag of Pakistan

The national flag of Pakistan is a very important symbol for the country.

It is a dark green rectangle with a white stripe on the left side. In the center, there is a white crescent moon and a five-pointed star. The dark green color represents the Muslim people living in Pakistan. The white stripe shows the country's religious minorities, like Hindus and Christians. The crescent moon stands for progress. The star stands for light and knowledge. This design shows that Pakistan cares about both Islam and the rights of all people.

There are many rules for how to use the flag correctly. It should always be flown at the same height as other national flags. If it flies with smaller flags, the Pakistani flag must be higher. The flag must never touch the ground, shoes, or anything unclean. It should be raised at dawn and lowered at dusk. The only building where the flag stays up all night is the Parliament of Pakistan. In that building, a light must shine on the flag at night so it is always visible.

The history of the flag began with different ideas. In 1937, the Muslim League used a green banner with a white crescent and star. In 1942, a man named Choudhry Rahmat Ali proposed a different flag. His idea had five white stars on a green field. Each of those stars represented a different part of the land, like Punjab and Sindh. Eventually, a team led by Syed Amir-uddin Kedwaii created the design we see today. This design was based on the Muslim League flag but added the white stripe.

Pakistan officially adopted this flag on 11 August 1947. This was just a few days before the country gained independence from the British Empire. On 14 August 1947, it became the official flag of the Dominion of Pakistan. Later, in 1956, it became the flag of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The design has stayed the same since that time. People celebrate the flag on many special days. They fly it on Independence Day and Republic Day. They also fly it on 23 March to remember the Lahore Resolution of 1940.

People show great respect when the flag is raised or lowered. Every morning, schools and government buildings hoist the flag to the national anthem. At the Wagah–Attari border, there is a very large ceremony. The Pakistan Rangers and the Indian Border Security Force perform this ceremony together. Hundreds of people go there to watch the event. People have even used their bodies to make the flag. In 2014, over 29,000 people gathered in Lahore to form a giant human flag. This helped set a world record for the largest flag made of people.