Pakistan Studies and Current Affairs
This domain combines constitutional and geographical facts with events of roughly the past twelve months. FBR papers usually ask structural questions - which amendment did what, which river feeds which dam - rather than opinion.
Constitutional spine
- The 1973 Constitution created a parliamentary federal system; the Objectives Resolution of 1949 forms its preamble.
- Amendments worth fixing: 8th (1985, strengthened the president), 13th (1997, removed that power), 18th (2010, provincial autonomy, renamed NWFP Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, right to education in Article 25-A), 25th (2017, merged FATA into KP), 26th (2024, judicial reforms and constitutional benches).
- Units: four provinces plus Islamabad Capital Territory, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir with special status.
Geography and economy
The Indus rises in Tibet and is joined by the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Kabul. The Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, brokered by the World Bank, allotted the three eastern rivers to India and the western rivers to Pakistan. Tarbela stands on the Indus, Mangla on the Jhelum.
Current affairs for this exam means IMF programme reviews, FATF status (Pakistan left the grey list in October 2022), CPEC phase-II on industrial cooperation and ML-1, and trade engagement with the GCC and Central Asia.
Worked example
'Which amendment merged FATA with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?' Work from the timeline: the 18th Amendment in 2010 abolished the concurrent list but left FATA intact; the merger came with the 25th Amendment in 2017. Answer: 25th.
Traps
Crediting the 18th Amendment with the FATA merger, or treating the Objectives Resolution as part of the 1956 Constitution. Quoting a minister's name from an old headline - dates and offices change; facts about institutions do not.