The Pakistan Flag is dark green in color, with a white vertical bar, a white crescent in the center, and a five-
pointed star. Although the green represents the Muslims and the white is for Non-Muslims, one can also say
that the white and green field represents peace and prosperity, the crescent means development, and the star
denotes light and knowledge.
On 11 August 1947, Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan presented the flag to the Constituent Assembly for its formal
approval. In his speech, he observed “. . . the flag is not the flag of any one political party or any one community.
The flag is the flag of the Pakistan nation. . . . The flag of every nation is not merely a piece of cloth, but it is
what it stands for, and I can say without any fear of contradiction that this flag which I have the honor to
present to this House, will stand for freedom, liberty, and equality for those who owe allegiance to this flag of
Pakistan.”
That, of course, was 1947, and since then a lot of water has passed under the bridge. The flag has taken on a
different status. It is also now in strong competition with other flags, not only outside the motherland, but at
home too. Today, this nation has so many flags that it is practically a Herculean task to keep track of them.
The various political parties, whether they are national, provincial, local, or even tonga, have a flag. The politico-
religious parties also have their standards. The ethno-political organizations need a flag to identify themselves.
Student organizations proudly display their own brand of flags. It seems that flags now play a prominent role in
this nation’s political opera.
What has become of the green and white that was visualized by the Founding Fathers as the symbol of equal
privileges, equal opportunity, and equal freedom? What has become of the banner under which hundreds of
thousands lost their lives and millions of Muslims migrated to a land they could proudly call their home? What
has become of the standard for which the valiant armed forces sacrificed themselves in order to protect the
citizens of this country?
The flag is still ever-present and symbolically and ritually raised up and down on the poles outside the official
buildings. The flag is very much desired by political aspirants who want it on their cars, so the world and the
traffic cop can distinguish between an ordinary citizen and an unelected advisor to the Chief Minister. The flag
is still on the table where the billions of dollars’ worth of MOUs are signed and where one always see the
signatories clumsily get up in unison and exchange the documents.
However, it seems that the people are not satisfied with just one flag. What they want is a two-flag country.
Take the example of the “rulers”. In Pakistan, those elected or selected become undisputed title-deed holders,
or rulers, of the country until they are unceremoniously chucked out, legally or through extra-constitutional
means. The national flag and the party flag are of equal importance on the car, in the office, in the garden of
official or non-official residences of the party leadership from the top to the lower in the hierarchy. The party
jalsas are full of these party flags. Of course, there, the country’s flag may be spotted if one looks really hard all
around.
There have been many episodes in this nation’s history where the other flags were more in motion. At the World
Cup in Australia, many moons ago, where the Pakistan team emerged as the World Champions, the viewers
witnessed a harrowing spectacle. Here too, tricolors belonging to a Pakistani political party were fluttering side
by side with the Piyara Parcham of Pakistan. Unfortunately, both the timing and the place for this kind of
exhibition were way, way out of line.
The patriotic people of Pakistan have become used to the disrespect shown to the flag by many in the audience
who frequent the cinemas and are impatient to get on with the show, rather than standing in attention for a
couple of minutes.
The younger generation craves to hold and to wave the flag on important national days. One can see gleam in
their eyes when they do that. They truly show their love for the flag, even though they may not yet know what
the Muslims of the sub-continent went through so that today they could proudly raise their very own national
flag. Alas, the day they come into their late teens or adult life, they may switch their allegiance to another flag.
Today, August 14, 2025, as 250 million citizens of Pakistan celebrate the Day of Independence, one must also
contemplate what is missing in this country. One must seriously ponder why is there discontent, why is there
that feeling of deprivation, and why is there a sense of frustration. Yes, there are economic problems; yes, there
is extremism and terrorism; yes, there is distrust and corruption. Notwithstanding all these failings and tension,
the fact is that the citizens of this motherland are divided on ethnic lines, sectarian lines, provincial lines, and
urban-rural divide.
What this country thus needs is to introduce the love for the flag in the minds of the populace. There is an
imperative need to get rid of the flags of all parties, and have only one flag under which they would all stand and
to which they will pledge their loyalty and allegiance. The time has arrived to donate all these flags to the rag
boys who clean the trucks and the buses. The moment has arrived to ban, once and for all, any other flag.
The citizens of Pakistan should and must salute, respect, and fight for the green and white that is recognized all
over the globe as the flag of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Has anyone ever seen any other flag other than
the Old Glory at American political programs and rallies whether they are Democratic, Republican, or Green
Party? Has anyone ever seen any flag except the Stars and Stripes at US sports events? No sir, that country has
become the World Power because the citizens in the land of Uncle Sam undauntedly prove their loyalty by
standing up, facing the flag, right hand over the heart, and in a strong voice filled with patriotic fervor, recite: “I
pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, for which it stands, one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” This is one super way to make a great country and a great people!
When will the day come when we would all say in unison – Pakistan First!
(The writer is Former President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and
Industry. X: MajydAziz)
