Pakistan Studies

Swat was the first princely state to accede to Pakistan in 1947, shortly after the creation of Pakistan. Bahawalpur also acceded to Pakistan but did so after Swat. Therefore, option A is correct.

Gilgit Baltistan currently consists of 7 districts. Therefore, option B is correct, not D.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan aimed to create mutual understanding between Muslims and the British, encouraged Muslims to adopt Western education, and advised against agitational politics to improve the community's status. Therefore, all the options correctly reflect his ideas.

The Constitution of 1956 of Pakistan was inspired by the Westminster style parliamentary government, which is characterized by a parliamentary system with a prime minister and a ceremonial head of state, similar to the British model.

General Muhammad Ayub Khan introduced the system of Basic Democracies in Pakistan in 1959, implementing it through elections held in 1960. This system was designed as a form of local government with a hierarchical structure of councils, intended to provide grassroots participation but effectively centralized control under Ayub Khan's regime. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did not introduce Basic Democracy; rather, he was a political figure during and after Ayub Khan's era. Therefore, the correct answer is C, Ayub Khan.

Pakistan won the Men's Hockey World Cup in the years 1971, 1978, 1982, and 1994. The first Hockey World Cup was held in 1971, and Pakistan was the inaugural champion. Therefore, the option 'All of these' (1971, 1978, 1982) is correct as Pakistan won in all those years listed in the options.

The members of the merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) took oath in the KPK Provisional Assembly on 26th August 2019, following the merger of FATA with KPK. This date is historically recorded and is the correct answer.

The first martial law in Pakistan was declared on 7 October 1958 by President Iskander Mirza. He abrogated the 1956 Constitution, dissolved the national and provincial assemblies, and dismissed the civilian government of Prime Minister Sir Feroz Khan Noon. Martial law was imposed on Feroz Khan Noon's government, making option B the correct answer. Although there were political crises earlier, the first formal nationwide martial law was in 1958, not during Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy's premiership in 1953.

During the 1965 war between Pakistan and India, Ayub Khan was the President of Pakistan. He served as the country's president from 1958 to 1969, which includes the period of the 1965 war.

The British government convened two Round Table Conferences in London between 1930 and 1932 to discuss constitutional reforms in India. Therefore, option B is correct.

The Pak-China border dispute was settled in 1963 with the signing of the Sino-Pakistan Agreement, which defined the boundary between the two countries. This agreement resolved longstanding border issues.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

The claim that Zunaira Waheed is Pakistan's youngest female author who wrote 8 books by age 16 is not supported by reliable sources. Instead, Mariyum Arif is recognized as a Pakistani young female author who published 8 books by the age of 16, as confirmed by a Facebook post highlighting her achievements. Zunaira Waheed is a young author but is not documented to have published 8 books by age 16. Therefore, the correct answer is A, Mariyum Arif.

Hina Rabbani Khar was the youngest and the first woman to serve as Pakistan's Foreign Minister, making option A correct. The other options have held different political roles but not this specific position.

The first Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab (Pakistan) was Dr. Khalifa Shuja-ud-Din, who assumed office on 7 May 1951. Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry served as Speaker later, from 20 May 1956 to 7 October 1958. The other options listed were not the first Speakers of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab. This is confirmed by official Punjab Assembly records and Wikipedia.

The Durand Line, which serves as the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, was drawn in 1893 as a result of an agreement between Sir Mortimer Durand and Amir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan.