PAKISTAN AFFAIRS PAPER ||Current Affairs Areas||

 PAKISTAN AFFAIRS PAPER    Before I start on discussing the method, I'd like you all to know that this is my personal take on Pakis...

 PAKISTAN AFFAIRS PAPER   

Before I start on discussing the method, I'd like you all to know that this is my personal take on Pakistan Affairs. You're free to agree or disagree with the method and the suggestions. So, I would request everyone to critically analyze on your own the pros and cons of this method, instead of blindly following it. Though, I'm pretty sure not everyone would understand it. Anyway, I hope it helps. Have a great one!

UNDERSTAND THE SYLLABUS & PAPER PATTERN

Go through the syllabus to understand this division as well as the number of questions appeared in the Papers of Pakistan Affairs (CSS 2016 & CSS 2017). I have re– categorized the syllabus for better comprehension and understanding of this subject.

PAKISTAN AFFAIRS PAPER (CSS 2016)

Pakistan Studies Areas (5 Questions)

1.    Ideology of Pakistan and Reforms (1) **

2.    Pre–Partition Era **

3.    Land and People of Pakistan (2)

4.    Strategic and Political Aspects (4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19)

5.    Foreign Policy (14) *

6.    Constitutional Measures of Pakistan (27)

Current Affairs Areas (2 Questions)

7.    Socio–Economic Challenges (7, 16, 17, 20, 26, 28) 8. Regional Dynamics (3, 5, 9, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) **

9. Global Issues (10, 13)

PAKISTAN AFFAIRS PAPER (CSS 2017)

Pakistan Studies Areas (4 Questions)

1. Ideology of Pakistan and Reforms (1)
2. Pre–Partition Era
3. Land and People of Pakistan (2) *
4. Strategic and Political Aspects (4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19) **
5. Foreign Policy (14)
6. Constitutional Measures of Pakistan (27) *

Current Affairs Areas (3 Questions)

7. Socio–Economic Challenges (7, 16, 17, 20, 26, 28) * 8. Regional Dynamics (3, 5, 9, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25) **
9. Global Issues (10, 13)

A POINT TO UNDERSTAND

The numbers written in brackets in front of the topics are in accordance with the original syllabus of Pakistan Affairs by FPSC. The Asterisks show the number of questions appeared in the Papers of Pakistan Affairs (CSS 2016 & CSS 2017).

GET THE RIGHT BOOKS FOR PAKISTAN AFFAIRS PAPER

For Research Based Study

1.    Pakistan: A modern history (Ian Talbot)

2.    Pakistan: History and Politics (Rafiq Afzal)

3.    Foreign Policy: A concise history (Abdul Sattar)

4.    A concise history of Pakistan (M R Kazmi)

5.    Pakistan beyond a crisis state (Maleeha Lodhi)

6.    Pakistan: A manifest destiny (Atif Qureshi)

7.    Jinnah of Pakistan (Stanley Walport)

For General Reading

1.    Pakistan: A hard country (Anatol Levien)

2.    The Idea of Pakistan (Stephen Philip Cohen)

3.    Struggle for Pakistan (Ayesha Jalal)

4.    The Military & Politics in Pakistan (Hasan Askari Rizvi)

From Paper Point of View

1.    Pakistan Affairs (Ikram Rabbani)

2.    Trek to Pakistan (For Pre Partition) (Ahmad Saeed)

3.    The making of Pakistan (K K Aziz)

STRATEGY FOR PAKISTAN AFFAIRS PAPER

a) TIME FRAME: Give around 15 to 20 days to this subject.

b) PAST PAPER ANALYSIS (PPA): Get last 10 years past papers and list them down under each related subheading of the syllabus topics mentioned above. Refer to past paper study/analysis for Pakistan Affairs. Now you have the topic and the general trend as to what types of questions are asked. This would act as your guide.

c) READING BOOKS STRATEGY: Start with the books according to paper point of view. Use them to make the basic structure of your bullet notes. But don‘t forget to leave a few pages for additional note–taking after each topic. For research based books, you better get them online, skim through them, and only get the relevant material for quality arguments and add them to your bullet notes. The books for general reading would expand your horizon and give you a deeper insight regarding Pakistan Studies.

d) BULLET NOTES STRATEGY: Get a print out of the PPA. Take the cut–outs of each topic and its past paper questions. Before starting to make notes, paste the relevant topics‘ PPA Cut–out on the top. This way you‘ll have the end in mind at all times. Study relevant material from paper point of view Books and internet and construct a basic structure i.e. an outline covering the topic in entirety. Leave 1 or 2 pages for add–on ideas/arguments. Now, you may add further points later or whenever it‘s feasible for you, but make sure it‘s before you start your revision process. This exercise would help you outshine others.

e) PRACTICE AND REVISION PROCESS: Revise your bullet notes and keep updating them by reading quality books and adding quality arguments. Practice last ten years MCQs along with Past paper questions. Current affair related topics overlap in Current Affairs and International Relations Papers, which gives you an edge. You’re good to go. Best of Luck!

SYLLABUS DIVISION OF PAKISTAN AFFAIRS

PAKISTAN STUDIES AREAS

1.  IDEOLOGY OF PAKISTAN AND REFORMS

a) Muslim rule in the Sub–continent, its downfall and efforts for Renaissance


b) Ideology of Pakistan in the light of Speeches and statements of Allama Iqbal and Quaid– i–Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.


c) Movements for reforms


1. Shaikh Ahmad Sarhindi


2. Shah Waliullah


3. Sayyid Ahmad Shaheed


4. Aligarh, Deoband, Nadwah, and other educational institutions– Sindh Madrassah and Islamia College Peshawar.

2.  PRE–PARTITION ERA (PAST PAPER ANALYSIS)

3.  LAND AND PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN (Geography, Society, Natural resources, Agriculture, Industry and education with reference to characteristics, trends and problems.)

4.  STRATEGIC AND POLITICAL ASPECTS

a.      Nuclear Program of Pakistan, its Safety and Security; International Concerns

b.      Civil–Military Relations in Pakistan

c.      Political Evolution Since 1971

d.      Evolution of Democratic System in Pakistan

e.      Changing Security Dynamics for Pakistan: Challenges to National Security of Pakistan

f.       Pakistan‘s National Interest

g.      Challenges to Sovereignty

h.      Non–Traditional Security Threats in Pakistan: Role of Non–State Actors

5. FOREIGN POLICY POST 9/11
6. CONSTITUTIONAL MEASURES OF PAKISTAN

(The Recent Constitutional and Legal Debates, the Latest Constitutional Amendments and Important Legislations, Legal Cases and the Role of Higher Courts.)

CURRENT AFFAIRS AREAS

1.  SOCIO–ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

a. Economic Challenges in Pakistan: Economic Conditions of Pakistan, the Most Recent Economic Survey, the Previous and Current Budgets, and the Problems and Performance of Major Sectors of Economy.
b. The Prevailing Social Problems of Pakistan and the Strategies to Deal with Them, Poverty, Education, Health and Sanitation.
c. Ethnic Issues and National Integration
d. Hydro Politics ; Water Issues in Domestic and Regional Context
e. Pakistan‘s Energy Problems and their Effectssa

2.  REGIONAL DYNAMICS

a. Pakistan and Changing Regional Apparatus and Pakistan‘s Role in the Region
b. Regional Cooperation Organizations (SAARC, ECO, SCO) and the Role of Pakistan
c. Pakistan‘s Relations with Neighbors excluding India
d. Pakistan and India Relations Since 1947
e. The Kashmir Issue
f. The war in Afghanistan since 1979 and its impact on, and challenges to Pakistan in the Post 2014 era.
g. Proxy Wars: Role of External Elements

3.  GLOBAL ISSUES

The Palestine Issue
Pakistan and US War on Terror