Federal Public Service Commission
Repeating Questions (Pakistan Affairs)
Competitive Examination-2016-2025
An analysis of Pakistan Affairs papers from 2016 to 2025 shows that the examiners frequently revisit certain core themes related to history, politics, foreign policy, economy, and national security. Although questions may appear different, many revolve around recurring conceptual areas.
SUBJECTIVE
1. Muslim Identity and Ideological Foundations (Very Frequent)
Questions about Muslim political consciousness and ideological leadership in the subcontinent appear regularly.
Examples from Past Papers
• 2016: Life and services of Shah Waliullah
• 2018: Concept of Muslim separatism by Allama Iqbal
• 2020: Reform movement of Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi
• 2021: Evolution of Muslim separate identity
• 2023: Leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah
• 2024: Role of Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi in reviving Muslim identity
Trend
Questions on Islamic reform movement and Muslim identity appear almost every 1-2 years.
2. Pakistan’s Political System and Democratic Development (Highly Frequent)
Pakistan’s constitutional evolution and political structure is one of the most consistent topics.
Examples
• 2017: Role of judiciary in constitutional development
• 2018: Political system of Pakistan
• 2019: Centre–province relations under the constitution
• 2022: Federal structure after the 18th Amendment
• 2023: Evolution of democratic system in Pakistan
• 2024: Political stability and constitutional reforms
Trend
Issues related to:
• democracy
• political stability
• constitutional development
appear in almost every paper.
3. National Integration and Ethnic Diversity (Repeated Theme)
Questions about unity, identity, and ethnic diversity frequently appear.
Examples
• 2017: National culture and unity in diversity
• 2018: Crisis of national integration
• 2025: Demographic and cultural diversity of Pakistan
• 2024: Provincial autonomy and national integration
Trend
This theme appears repeatedly because Pakistan’s ethnic and regional diversity remains
a major policy issue.
4. Pakistan’s Foreign Policy (Very Frequent)
Foreign policy questions are a core part of Pakistan Affairs.
Examples
• 2016: Post-9/11 foreign policy of Pakistan
• 2018: Pakistan–US relations since 2001
• 2020: Revival of Pakistan–US relations
• 2022: Foreign policy based on ideology vs national interests
• 2025: Pakistan’s Kashmir policy
Key Repeated Areas
• Pakistan–US relations
• Afghanistan policy
• Kashmir dispute
5. Kashmir Issue (Regularly Appearing Topic)
The Kashmir dispute remains one of the most frequently discussed issues.
Examples
• 2016: Kashmir dispute and its solutions
• 2021: Pakistan’s efforts after 5 August 2019 in Kashmir
• 2025: Pakistan’s Kashmir policy
The issue relates directly to the legacy of the Partition of India.
6. Pakistan’s Economy and Development Challenges (Highly Repeated)
Economic problems and development strategies appear frequently.
Examples
• 2019: Economic challenges of Pakistan
• 2019: Population growth issue
• 2023: Agricultural decline
• 2023: Industrial development problems
• 2025: Impact of Bhutto’s nationalization policy
These questions often focus on structural economic problems.
7. Energy Crisis and Natural Resources (Recurring Topic)
Pakistan’s energy shortages have appeared multiple times.
Examples
• 2017: Alternative energy resources
• 2019: Causes of energy crisis
• 2020: Energy crisis due to lack of strategy
• 2021: Renewable energy resources
8. Regional Geopolitics and Strategic Environment (Frequent)
Pakistan’s strategic location and regional alliances are also common topics.
Examples
• 2017: Significance of Shanghai Cooperation Organization
• 2017: Importance of China–Pakistan Economic Corridor
• 2020: Pakistan-Russia-China cooperation through SCO
• 2021: CPEC Phase II
• 2023: Geostrategic importance of Pakistan
9. Internal Security and Non-Traditional Threats (Repeated)
Security issues inside Pakistan appear regularly.
Examples
• 2016: Afghan war and non-state actors
• 2018: Non-state actors and national security
• 2020: Proxy wars
• 2021: Fifth generation warfare
Overall Trend of Pakistan Affairs Papers
Analysis of the past decade shows that the paper generally revolves around
six major areas:
1. Muslim identity and ideological foundations
2. Constitutional and political development
3. National integration and ethnic diversity
4. Foreign policy and regional geopolitics
5. Economic and development challenges
6. Internal security and strategic issues
Instead of memorizing isolated facts, candidates should focus on understanding these
core thematic areas, as the examiner frequently reshapes questions around them.