General Knowledge: Pakistan Affairs, Geography, History and Current Events
The General Knowledge section covers Pakistan affairs, geography, history and current events. Marks come from stable facts plus awareness of who holds which office and what has recently happened.
Geography
- Four provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, plus Islamabad Capital Territory, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
- Balochistan is the largest province by area; Punjab is the largest by population.
- The Indus is the longest river; its western tributaries include the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Kabul.
- K2 (8,611 m) in the Karakoram range is the highest peak in Pakistan and the second highest in the world.
History
- Lahore Resolution, 23 March 1940; independence, 14 August 1947.
- Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was the first Governor-General; Liaquat Ali Khan the first Prime Minister.
- The present Constitution was adopted in 1973; the Indus Waters Treaty was signed in 1960.
Current affairs
Maintain a running list of the President, Prime Minister, service chiefs, governors and chief ministers, and revise it a week before the paper. These entries change, so verify each name against current news rather than an old guide.
Worked example
"Which province has the largest area but a small share of population?" The answer is Balochistan, which covers roughly 44% of the country's area while Punjab holds most of the population. Misreading the question as "largest population" gives Punjab and a wrong mark.
Traps
- Swapping dates, such as the 1940 resolution and 1947 independence.
- Confusing K2's height with that of Nanga Parbat.
- Trusting outdated notes for current office-holders; always verify.