These pictures from the Associated Press need no commentary. They demand our attention. Our empathy. And, wherever we can, our action.

The Cholistan, or Rohi, Desert in Punjab is the largest desert on the Indo-Pak sub-continent. The desert is over 10,000 square miles. Located 20 miles from Bahawalpur, The Hakra River dried up here, and with it most life. The 2.5 million people who live here are nomads who lead a simple life herding and trading in camels. Their culture is strong with many romantic legends dating back to ancient times and they place great value in the power of song. The desert festivals are simply out of this world, you may see camels dancing (except those with two left humps) who are even better dressed in dazzling costumes than their owners.

The people of Cholistan wear embroidered and print coloured shirts, skirts and robe coats. During the wet season, the nomads built shallow reservoirs to catch rainwater to survive long spells away from their villages.

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The Kalabagh dam is a mega water reservoir that Government of Pakistan planning to develop across the Indus River, one of the world’s largest rivers. The proposed site for the dam is situated at Kalabagh in Mianwali District of the north-west Punjab province, bordering NWFP.

The dam project is a highly controversial and has been so since its inception. In December 2005, General Pervez Musharraf, who became the President of Pakistan after a 1999 coup, announced that he would definitely build the dam in the larger interest of Pakistan.

History:
The region of Kalabagh was once an autonomous jagir (feudal estate) within Punjab. It was annexed by the Sikhs in 1822. After the British annexed the Punjab, the Nawab of Kalabagh was granted the jagir of Kalabagh, in recognition of his services to the British Raj.

According to the PC-II of the Project, Kala Bagh dam was initiated by GOP in 1953, and until 1973, the project was basically considered as a storage project for meeting the irrigation needs, and consequently, rapid increases in the cost of energy have greatly enhanced the priority of the dam as a power project.

The project’s paperwork was finalized in March, 1984, with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme; supervised by the World Bank, for the client Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) of Pakistan.
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The national flag of Pakistan was designed by Syed Amir-ud-Din Kedwaii. It was adopted on August 11, 1947, three days before independence when the country was formed after the British-ruled Indian sub-continent was divided into two independent states, Pakistan and India. The Pakistan flag is based on one created in 1906; which represented the All-Indian Muslim League - a political organization established to represent the political rights of muslims in India. That flag had an entirely green base with a white crescent and star in the centre. The flag remained the same when Pakistan produced its first constitution in 1956 and officially became the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

A common name for the Pakistan flag is Sabz Hilali Parcham which is Urdu for Green Flag with the Crescent. Or Parcham-e-Sitara aw Hilal meaning The Flag of the Crescent and Star.

The national flag of Pakistan is now dark green in colour with a white bar, a white crescent in the centre and a five-pointed star. The significance of the colour and symbols used in the Pakistan Flag is as follows:

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