Pakistan Studies

The Pakistan-China Border Agreement was signed in 1963, which formally settled the border dispute between the two countries.

Fahmida Mirza is the only female who has served as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, making option A correct. The other options have held different political roles but not the Speaker position.

Shamshad Akhtar was the first female finance minister of Pakistan who presented the annual budget in 2008. Hina Rabbani Khar served as Foreign Minister, not Finance Minister. Begum Salma is not known to have held this position.

The main architect of the joint meeting of Congress and the Muslim League in Lucknow in 1916, which resulted in the Lucknow Pact, was Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He played a key role in negotiating the agreement between the two parties, which marked a significant moment of Hindu-Muslim unity and joint political demands to the British government. Zafar Ali Khan was not the main architect of this meeting. The Lucknow Pact was a milestone in Indian political history, with Jinnah being hailed as the 'Ambassador of Hindu-Muslim Unity' for his efforts.

Pakistan first purchased the F-16 fighter jets from the United States in 1982, making option B the correct answer. This acquisition was part of a military deal during that period.

New Islamabad International Airport is the largest airport in Pakistan in terms of area and passenger capacity, surpassing other major airports like Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah joined the Indian National Congress in 1905, not 1906. This is well documented in historical records of his early political career.

Christophe Jaffrelot is the author of the book "Pakistan at the Crossroads," which analyzes Pakistan's political and social challenges. The other options are not associated with this book.

Imran Khan is the author of "Warrior Race: A Journey Through the Land of the Tribal Pathans," which explores the culture and history of the Pathan tribes. The other options are prominent Pakistani figures but not authors of this book.

The President of Pakistan is elected indirectly by an Electoral College consisting of the Senate, the National Assembly, and the four Provincial Assemblies. Each member of the Senate and National Assembly has one vote, while the votes of provincial assembly members are weighted so that each province has an equal share of 65 votes regardless of the number of assembly members. This means no single province elects the President independently; rather, all provinces collectively participate through their weighted votes. Balochistan, having the smallest assembly, sets the baseline for weighting votes, but it does not elect the President independently. The question likely refers to the province with the smallest independent influence, which is Balochistan, making option A the closest correct answer.