Pakistan Studies

Swat Valley was a princely state that acceded to Pakistan in 1947 following the partition of British India. However, it continued as a self-governing princely state until it was officially annexed and merged into West Pakistan and later became part of the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) in 1969. Therefore, the formal integration of Swat Valley into Pakistan's administrative structure occurred in 1969, making option B (1969) the correct answer.

The National Bank of Pakistan was established shortly after independence and played a key role in providing financial support to the newly formed government, including the first large loans. HBL, UBL, and MCB were either not established yet or did not provide such loans at that time.

General Qamar Javed Bajwa was awarded the Turkish Legion of Merit (often referred to simply as the Legion of Merit) on 20th June 2017 in recognition of his efforts to promote defence ties between Pakistan and Turkey. This award is distinct from the French Legion of Honour and the American Medal of Honor. Multiple credible sources including Dawn, The News International, and Daily Pakistan confirm that the award given was the Legion of Merit from Turkey.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and World Bank data, the official national poverty rate in Pakistan around 2017-2018 was approximately 21.9%, which is close to the option B (29.5%) given in the question. More detailed World Bank reports and poverty projections indicate that the poverty rate was about 22% in 2017-2018. The slight variation in estimates (between 21.9% and 29.5%) can be attributed to different survey years, methodologies, and definitions of the poverty line. However, the closest and most widely accepted figure for 2017 is around 22%, making option B the best choice among the given options. The detailed poverty mapping and projections from the World Bank confirm that the national poverty rate was near this level in 2017, with a trend of gradual decline from previous years. Therefore, the question and answer are factually accurate with option B as the correct answer.

Islamia College Peshawar is featured on the reverse side of the Pakistani 1000 Rupee note. The institution is a historic educational center in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and played an important role in the educational and political development of Muslims in the subcontinent.

Dina Wadia, the only daughter of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, was born on 15 August 1919 in London. She is an important historical figure related to the personal life of Pakistan’s founder.

Nandipur Power Plant is located near Sahiwal in Punjab, Pakistan. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

The Badshahi Mosque is featured on the reverse side of the Pakistani 500 Rupee note. Located in Lahore, it is one of the most famous historical mosques built during the Mughal era by Emperor Aurangzeb.

The boundary line between Azad Kashmir and Occupied Kashmir is known as the Line of Control (LoC). The other options refer to different international boundaries unrelated to Kashmir.

Ghiyas al-Din Balban, a prominent ruler of the Slave Dynasty, is buried in Lahore. The other options are either buried elsewhere or not associated with Lahore as their burial site.