Adopted 24 September 1975 | Proportion 23:31 Designed by Abdul Haq Mirza | |
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Design Green background with four white stripes; a gold canton on the hoist and a star and crescent on the fly | ||
The flag of Azad Kashmir (Urdu: پرچم آزاد کشمیر) is the state flag representing the territory of Azad Kashmir in Pakistan. It features a green background, four horizontal white stripes alternating with green, a star and crescent on the upper fly, and a golden canton on the upper hoist.
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. It was designed by Abdul Haq Mirza, a retired lieutenant-colonel who also created the formation signs of the Azad Kashmir Regular Force.
The flag symbolises various aspects of the state. 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. The star and crescent is a national icon which also features on Pakistan's flag.
The Azad Kashmir flag is a key symbol of identity for Kashmiris at home and in the diaspora. It has also been associated with the Kashmiri political struggle.