Tag: flag

  • Kyrgyzstan to remove ‘fickle’ sunflower from flag

    Kyrgyzstan to remove ‘fickle’ sunflower from flag

    Kyrgyzstan’s supreme council (Jogorku Kenesh) on November 29 supported a bill on changing the state flag in its first reading in parliament after 66 deputies voted for and eight people’s representatives voted against the document.

    President Sadyr Japarov had recently criticised the design, saying that its central element looked more like a sunflower which in the local culture symbolizes fickleness and servility. Others joined in the criticism and the bill was proposed in the parliament.

    Speaker Nurlanbek Shakiev, one of the authors of the document, said that if the flag is changed, funds will not be lost from the budget, and if the flag is changed in places where it is necessary, sponsors will bear the cost.

    However, critics are opposing the hasty adoption of the draft in the first reading without discussion, calling it rushed. Representative Erulan Kokulov said that the flag is for every citizen. “This issue should have been resolved by a referendum,” he said.

    The goal of the draft law is to “improve the flag, which is one of the main state symbols of the country.”

  • Printing national flag in different colours prohibited by Lahore Court

    Printing national flag in different colours prohibited by Lahore Court

    A Lahore court has forbidden the printing of flags in different colours. The printing of flag in various colours,  other than its original scheme, and on distorted shaped portraits undermining the national dignity might be considered a defilement, Samaa News reported.

    “Our parcham (flag) is not merely a piece of cloth. The white and dark green field represents peace and prosperity, the crescent on the flag [symbolises] progress and the five-ray star signifies light and knowledge, which symbolises the five most Holy personalities (Panjtan-e-Pak A.S),” Justice Ali Baqar Najafi ruled while hearing a petition filed by Advocate Shakeela Rana.

    The court observed that according to the National Flags Protocol, people cannot legally do this while celebrating independence day. It must not touch the ground, shoes, feet, or anything unclean.

    • It must not be flown in the darkness
    • It must not be marketed with anything
    • When raised or lowered, it must be saluted
    • It must not fly or be displayed upside down or with a crescent and star facing left
    • It must not be displayed where it is likely to get dirty
    • It must not be set on fire or trampled upon
    • It must not be buried or lowered into a grave

    People who will violate any of these will be imprisoned for three years under Section 123-B (defilement of the national flag) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

  • Flags of Afghanistan, Taliban raised in Islamabad

    Flags of Afghanistan, Taliban raised in Islamabad

    Security agencies were put on alert on Sunday after police learned that a group of individuals were flying Afghanistan’s national flag as well as that of the Taliban at Islamabad’s Lake View Park, reports Dawn.

    A group of 20 to 25 young men holding the two flags were seen taking photographs at the park in the evening.

    A police party rushed to the place and questioned the individuals, but did not register any case against them.

    A police officer said since waving a flag of any country was not a crime, police did not take any action.

  • Gilgit: Viral video shows man removing Pakistani flag from burning car

    Gilgit: Viral video shows man removing Pakistani flag from burning car

    The video of a man in Gilgit removing a Pakistani flag from a burning car has gone viral on social media.

    The black car is believed to belong to a Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) minister and was set on fire during the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) protest against alleged rigging in the recently held elections.

    The video shows a man running towards the car and taking the flag off the bonnet.

    Widespread, even violent, protests are being held in the northern region against what the PPP has termed a “stolen” election on November 15.

    Videos from the area have shown people thronging the streets of and accusing Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of winning the maximum number of seats by rigging.

    Earlier, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had alleged irregularities in the elections.

    “My election has been stolen. I will be joining the people of Gilgit-Baltistan in their protest shortly,” he had tweeted as early as initial results had started pouring in while Maryam Nawaz of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had accused the PTI of “pre-poll rigging”.