Flag of Azad Kashmir
Pakistani civil and state flag
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The flag of Azad Kashmir (Urdu: پرچمِ آزاد کشمیر), officially the state flag of Azad Jammu and Kashmir,[3] is a civil and state flag representing the Pakistani-administered territory of Azad Kashmir. It features a green background, four horizontal white stripes alternating with green, a star and crescent on the upper fly, and a gold canton on the upper hoist.[4]
| |
| Use | Civil and state flag |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 2:3 |
| Adopted | 24 September 1975[1] |
| Design | A green background with four white stripes on the bottom half, a gold canton on the hoist, and a star and crescent on the fly |
| Designed by | Abdul Haq Mirza[2] |
History
The flag was adopted on 24 September 1975 via the Azad Jammu and Kashmir State Flag Ordinance, passed by founding President Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan.[1] It was designed in 1948 by Abdul Haq Mirza, a mujahid working at the Rawalpindi headquarters of the Azad Kashmir rebellion, as the "Kashmir Liberation Flag". Mirza also created the formation signs of the Kashmir Liberation Force.[2][5]
The Azad Kashmir flag is a key symbol of identity for Azad-Kashmiris at home and in the Azad Kashmiri diaspora.[6] It has also been associated with the Kashmir conflict.[7][8]
Symbolism
According to the Azad Kashmir government, the green field represents the region's Muslim majority population; the gold canton represents the religious minorities; the white stripes represent the snow-peaked mountains of the state, and the green stripes alternating with them represent the Valley of Kashmir.[1] The star and crescent is a national icon which also features on Pakistan's flag.[1]