RECENTLY, while looking at a friend`s passport, I noticed something interesting about Pakistan`s national emblem that was officially unveiled in the mid-1950s.

The emblem features a shield surrounded by a wreath of jasmine flowers. The shield is divided into four sections, each representing a significant agricultural product of Pakistan.

These sections display cotton, wheat, tea and jute. Above the shield, there is a crescent and star, reflecting the national flag. Beneath the wreath, a scroll carries in Urdu the Quaid-i-Azam`s famed motto; Faith, Unity, Discipline.

Tea and jute, depicted on the emblem, are no longer grown in present-day Pakistan. In essence, the two crops were primarily associated with the erstwhileEast Pakistan, which is today`s Bangladesh.

One can only wonder why the emblem has not been updated to reflect the country`s current agricultural profile. It seems logical to replace tea and jute with crops more relevant to present-day Pakistan, such as rice and sugarcane.

It might be right time for the National Assembly to consider updating the emblem to better represent the nation`s contemporary identity as well as agricultural reality.

Undoubtedly, such a change would ensure that the emblem effectively and accurately reflects the country`s current strengths and national identity.

Moin Ahmed Awan Kandhkot