CSS Pakistan Affairs 2023 – Solved MCQs (with Explanations)
Introduction
These are the Pakistan Affairs MCQs for CSS 2023, rewritten and solved. Each item includes the answer plus a brief explanation so learners understand the context—not just the key.
Q1. Who was the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan?
(A) Fatima Jinnah
(B) Benazir Bhutto ✅
(C) Asma Jahangir
(D) Hina Rabbani Khar
Explanation: Benazir Bhutto took office in 1988, becoming the first woman to head a democratic government in a Muslim-majority country.
Q2. In which year did Pakistan become a nuclear power?
(A) 1998 ✅
(B) 1996
(C) 2002
(D) 2000
Explanation: Pakistan conducted six nuclear tests on 28 & 30 May 1998 at Chagai, confirming its nuclear status.
Q3. The Kashmir issue was first brought to the United Nations in:
(A) 1947
(B) 1952
(C) 1948 ✅
(D) 1950
Explanation: India took the dispute to the UN Security Council in January 1948, leading to early UN resolutions on Kashmir.
Q4. The largest desert in Pakistan is:
(A) Cholistan
(B) Thar ✅
(C) Kharan
(D) Rann of Kutch
Explanation: The Thar Desert spans southeastern Pakistan and western India; it is Pakistan’s largest desert, extending across Sindh and parts of Punjab.
Q5. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was founded by:
(A) Zulfikar Ali Bhutto ✅
(B) Liaquat Ali Khan
(C) Ayub Khan
(D) Nawaz Sharif
Explanation: PPP was formed in 1967 at Lahore, with a platform of “Islam is our faith; democracy is our polity; socialism is our economy; all power to the people.”
Q6. Who gave the presidential address at the 1930 Allahabad session, laying the foundation of Pakistan?
(A) Allama Iqbal ✅
(B) Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
(C) Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar
(D) Quaid-e-Azam
Explanation: In his Allahabad Address (1930), Iqbal envisioned a federation of Muslim-majority provinces—an intellectual precursor to Pakistan.
Q7. The first Islamic Summit Conference was held in:
(A) Karachi
(B) Islamabad
(C) Lahore ✅
(D) Cairo
Explanation: The first Islamic Summit held in Pakistan took place at Lahore in 1974 (the OIC’s first-ever summit was Rabat, 1969). Lahore’s was the 2nd OIC Summit overall.
Q8. When was the second constitution of Pakistan enforced?
(A) 1956
(B) 1962 ✅
(C) 1973
(D) 1985
Explanation: After the 1956 Constitution, Ayub Khan promulgated the 1962 Constitution, introducing a presidential system and Basic Democracies.
Q9. The term “Objectives Resolution” refers to:
(A) A law to amend the Constitution
(B) A proposal for the separation of Pakistan
(C) A constitutional principle regarding Pakistan’s Islamic identity ✅
(D) A peace treaty with India
Explanation: Passed on 12 March 1949, it set out sovereignty of Allah, democracy, and rights—later incorporated as Article 2A.
Q10. Who was the first Chief Martial Law Administrator of Pakistan?
(A) Zia-ul-Haq
(B) Yahya Khan
(C) Ayub Khan ✅
(D) Musharraf
Explanation: After martial law in October 1958, General Ayub Khan became the first CMLA (Iskander Mirza declared ML but Ayub was appointed CMLA).
Q11. The Radcliffe Line was the boundary demarcation line between:
(A) India and Pakistan ✅
(B) Pakistan and Afghanistan
(C) India and China
(D) Pakistan and Iran
Explanation: Drawn by Sir Cyril Radcliffe in 1947, it partitioned Punjab and Bengal, defining the Indo-Pak border.
Q12. Who wrote “The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam”?
(A) Allama Iqbal ✅
(B) Quaid-e-Azam
(C) Liaquat Ali Khan
(D) Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
Explanation: A series of lectures (1928–30) by Muhammad Iqbal synthesizing Islamic philosophy with modern thought.
Q13. Pakistan became a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in:
(A) 1971
(B) 1969 ✅
(C) 1973
(D) 1975
Explanation: Pakistan joined the OIC at its founding conference in Rabat (1969) following the Al-Aqsa arson incident.
Q14. The Siachen Glacier conflict is between Pakistan and:
(A) India ✅
(B) China
(C) Afghanistan
(D) Iran
Explanation: Since 1984, India and Pakistan have faced off over the Siachen Glacier in the eastern Karakoram.
Q15. Which of the following provinces was created after the independence of Pakistan?
(A) Punjab
(B) Sindh
(C) Balochistan ✅
(D) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Explanation: Balochistan became a full-fledged province in 1970 after the end of One Unit; at independence it wasn’t a separate province.
Q16. The Green Revolution in Pakistan was initiated in which decade?
(A) 1950s
(B) 1960s ✅
(C) 1970s
(D) 1980s
Explanation: High-yield varieties, fertilizers, and tube-well irrigation spread in the mid-to-late 1960s, boosting wheat and rice output.
Q17. Pakistan’s National Anthem was written by:
(A) Hafeez Jalandhari ✅
(B) Allama Iqbal
(C) Faiz Ahmed Faiz
(D) Ahmed Faraz
Explanation: Hafeez Jalandhari penned the lyrics in 1952; the tune was composed earlier by Ahmad G. Chagla (1949).
Q18. The Mangla Dam is located in which province/region?
(A) Punjab
(B) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
(C) Sindh
(D) Azad Kashmir ✅
Explanation: Mangla Dam lies on the Jhelum River near Mirpur, in AJK; it’s one of Pakistan’s two major multipurpose dams.
Q19. The Simla Accord of 1972 was signed between Pakistan and which country?
(A) India ✅
(B) China
(C) Afghanistan
(D) Bangladesh
Explanation: Signed on 2 July 1972 by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Indira Gandhi, it set a bilateral framework and created the Line of Control.
Q20. What was the main cause of the 1971 war between East and West Pakistan?
(A) Religious differences
(B) Ethnic tensions
(C) Political and economic disparities ✅
(D) Border disputes
Explanation: Denial of political mandate after the 1970 elections, language and resource grievances, and center–periphery imbalances culminated in the 1971 conflict.
A Complete list of all CSS Pakistan Affairs Past Paper MCQS
Conclusion & Tips
This 2023 set mixes constitutional milestones, geopolitical flashpoints, and development history. For exam prep, pair each fact with a one-line context (date, actor, outcome). That habit turns MCQs into quick revision notes and raises retention for written answers too.