LAHORE: Can the national flag be hoisted at night? "No", says a retired senior bureaucrat while commenting on the conflicting media reports about the federal government's plan to hoist the emblem at Islamabad between the night of August 13 and 14.
The ex-bureaucrat who has served in the federal government for many years, points out the protocol for hoisting the national flag is defined in the Flag Rules 2002. An earlier 1981 notification of the ministry of interior also disallowed the use of national flag at unauthorised places.
According to the Flag Rules 2002, the flag must never be hoisted in darkness. It must be raised at dawn and lowered at dusk except on the parliament of Pakistan which is the only official building on which the flag is never lowered.
The rules also define that when the flag is flown over the parliament of Pakistan at night, it must always remain alit with artificial light.
The bureaucrat says in view of the rules, the national flag is always lowered at Wagah Border at dusk. Hoisting it at night is an offence, he says.
Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2014
