Every year on March 23, the Pakistan Resolution Day, one spots the Pakistani flag everywhere. Standing tall on top of important government buildings, balconies and cars, it represents national unity. However, few people know how it was designed and by whom.

It is a common myth that Pakistan`s national flag was designed by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the nation. However, in reality it was designed by Syed Amir-uddin Kedwaii, an active worker of the Pakistan Movement and was accepted and appreciated by Quaid-i-Azam.

The flag was associated with the one used by the All-India Muslim League as an emblem of its aim of achieving an independent Muslim state. Their flag was green, with a central white star and crescent. However, at Independence in 1947, a white stripe was added to represent the state`s minorities. The green and white together stood for peace and prosperity. The crescent symbolised progress, and the star represented light and knowledge. The official design of the national flag was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, just days before Independence.

The prestigious flag is also referred to in the national anthem as “Parcham-i-sitara-o-hilal” in Urdu, which means `flag of the crescent and star`. The flag is flown at full-mast on March 23rd, which marks the adoption of the Lahore Resolution (1940) and declaration of the Islamic Republic (1956), August 14 (our Independence Day), and December 25th (the birthday of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah). It is flown at half-mast on April 21 (the death anniversary of Allama Iqbal), July 8th (the death anniversary of Mohatarma Fatima Jinnah), September 11th (the death anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam) and October 16th (the death anniversary of Liaquat Ali Khan).

In August 2004, Pakistan unfurled a 173,400 square foot (340x510 foot) national flag, which was later rolled out at the National Stadium, Karachi, in 2004. The country also held the record for producing the world`s largest flag.