Flag of Pakistan

What the flag of Pakistan looks like

The flag of Pakistan has a deep green field with a white vertical band on the hoist side. The white band takes up one quarter of the flag's length, and the green field takes up the remaining three quarters. The proportions are 2:3.

In the middle of the green part there is a white crescent moon with a white five-pointed star next to it. The crescent opens to the right, toward the fly, and the star sits between its horns, pointing up and to the right. The star and crescent are tilted slightly.

The flag is sometimes confused with flags that also use a crescent and star, such as those of Turkey, Algeria or Mauritania. What sets the Pakistan flag apart is the white vertical stripe and the very dark shade of green. See the Pakistan flag emoji for the way it looks on a screen.

Pakistan flag meaning and symbolism

The dark green field represents the Muslim majority of the country, and green is also a traditional color of Islam. The white stripe represents the religious minorities of Pakistan, including Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and others, and it also stands for peace and purity. Together, the two colors reflect the idea that the country belongs to all of its citizens.

The crescent is usually explained as a symbol of progress, and the five-pointed star as a symbol of light and knowledge. Both of these are also widely used symbols in the Islamic world. Some people read the five points of the star as the five pillars of Islam, but this is a popular reading and not an official one.

The flag is a national symbol, not an Islamic flag. There is no single flag for the Islamic faith as a whole, and the crescent and star appear on the flags of many different countries. The Pakistani flag represents the state of Pakistan, and its design reflects the country's founding as a homeland for the Muslims of British India.

History of the Pakistani flag

The flag grew out of the flag of the All-India Muslim League, the party that led the movement for a separate Muslim state. That flag was green with a white crescent and star. When the creation of Pakistan became certain in 1947, the Muslim League's flag was adapted for the new state. The design is credited to Syed Amiruddin Kidwai, and a white stripe was added for the minorities.

The Constituent Assembly of Pakistan adopted the flag on 11 August 1947. Pakistan became independent on 14 August 1947, and the flag was raised in Karachi, the first capital, on that day. A committee had earlier considered several proposals, and the Muslim League's flag was the one that was kept.

The design has not changed since. East Pakistan, which became Bangladesh in 1971, used the same flag until the country split. Pakistan became a republic in 1956, but the flag stayed the same, and the old question "What is Pakistan's old flag?" has a simple answer: it is the same flag, with the Muslim League's green banner as its predecessor.

The national flag is flown on Pakistan Day on 23 March and on Independence Day on 14 August.

Which flags are similar to the Pakistani flag?

The flag looks like the flag of Algeria at first glance, as both use green, white and a crescent with a star. Algeria's is split vertically in two halves, with a red crescent and star. Mauritania's flag is green with a gold crescent and star and red stripes at the top and bottom. The Turkish flag is red with a white crescent and star. In all of these cases the colors or layout are different from Pakistan's.