PPSC Test Current Affairs Syllabus

What is the difference between a unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral agreement in diplomacy?

Unilateral involves action by one state alone; bilateral is between two states; multilateral involves three or more states or international organizations negotiating collectively.

What is a 'two-state solution' in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict?

A proposed framework establishing two separate states - Israel and a sovereign Palestine - generally based on pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem's status to be negotiated, so both peoples have independent self-governing states.

What does the term 'ceasefire' mean, and how does it differ from a 'peace treaty'?

A ceasefire is a temporary suspension of active fighting agreed by belligerents, which does not formally end the war. A peace treaty is a binding legal agreement that officially ends the state of war and settles outstanding issues.

What is the G20, and how does it differ from the G7?

The G20 is a forum of 19 countries plus the European Union and the African Union representing major advanced and emerging economies. The G7 is a smaller group of seven advanced industrial economies (US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada).

What is the World Economic Forum and where is its flagship annual meeting held?

The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a non-governmental organization that convenes global political and business leaders. Its flagship annual meeting is held in Davos, Switzerland.

What is COP in the context of climate diplomacy?

COP is the Conference of the Parties, the supreme decision-making body of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which meets annually to negotiate global climate action (e.g., COP21 produced the Paris Agreement).

What is a Head of State versus a Head of Government, and which is which in Pakistan?

A Head of State is the ceremonial chief representative of a country; a Head of Government runs the executive administration. In Pakistan the President is Head of State and the Prime Minister is Head of Government.

What is the difference between a parliamentary republic and a presidential republic?

In a parliamentary republic the executive (PM and cabinet) is drawn from and accountable to the legislature, with a separate ceremonial head of state. In a presidential republic a directly elected president is both head of state and head of government, with separation of powers.

What are the six principal organs of the United Nations?

The General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the Trusteeship Council (now inactive), the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat.

How many members does the UN Security Council have, and which five are permanent with veto power?

It has 15 members: 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent (elected for two-year terms). The five permanent members with veto power are the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China.

What is the role and term of the UN Secretary-General?

The Secretary-General is the chief administrative officer of the UN, appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council, typically for a five-year renewable term.

Match these UN agencies to their mandates: WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF, FAO.

WHO - global public health; UNESCO - education, science, and culture; UNICEF - children's welfare and rights; FAO - food and agriculture / combating hunger.

Where is the International Court of Justice located, and what kind of disputes does it settle?

The ICJ sits at The Hague (Peace Palace), Netherlands. It settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on legal questions referred by authorized UN organs.

What is UNHCR, and what global concern is its core mandate?

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is the UN refugee agency, mandated to protect refugees, forcibly displaced people, and stateless persons and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration, or resettlement.

When was SAARC established, where is its secretariat, and how many members does it have?

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established in 1985 in Dhaka. Its secretariat is in Kathmandu, Nepal, and it has eight members: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

What is the OIC, where is its headquarters, and what is its purpose?

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the second-largest inter-governmental organization after the UN, headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It represents the collective voice of the Muslim world and safeguards the interests of Muslim states.

What is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), and when did Pakistan become a full member?

The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance founded in 2001, headquartered in Beijing. Pakistan became a full member in 2017, the same year as India.

Which countries founded ASEAN and what is its central economic aim?

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), founded in 1967 in Bangkok, was established by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, and regional stability in Southeast Asia.

What is the European Union's single currency, and what is the Schengen Area?

The EU's single currency is the euro, used by the Eurozone members. The Schengen Area is a zone of European states that have abolished internal border controls, allowing passport-free movement across their common borders.

What is the primary function of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)?

The IMF promotes global monetary cooperation and exchange-rate stability, and provides short-term financial assistance to member countries facing balance-of-payments problems, usually conditioned on economic reforms.

How does the role of the World Bank differ from that of the IMF?

The World Bank provides long-term loans and grants for development projects to reduce poverty (infrastructure, education, health). The IMF focuses on macroeconomic stability and short-term balance-of-payments support. Both are headquartered in Washington, D.C.

What is the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and where is it headquartered?

The ADB is a regional development bank founded in 1966 that provides loans, technical assistance, and grants for economic and social development in Asia and the Pacific. It is headquartered in Manila, Philippines.

What is the Special Drawing Right (SDR) of the IMF?

The SDR is an international reserve asset created by the IMF to supplement member countries' official reserves. Its value is based on a basket of major currencies (US dollar, euro, Chinese renminbi, Japanese yen, and pound sterling).

What is the Line of Control (LoC), and which two countries does it separate?

The Line of Control is the military control line dividing the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir between Pakistani-administered and Indian-administered areas. It was established under the Simla Agreement of 1972 between Pakistan and India.

What is the Durand Line?

The Durand Line is the roughly 2,600 km international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, demarcated in 1893 by an agreement between British India and Afghan ruler Amir Abdur Rahman Khan.

On what basis is the Indus Waters Treaty divided between India and Pakistan, and who brokered it?

Signed in 1960 and brokered by the World Bank, it allocates the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, Sutlej) to India and the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, Chenab) largely to Pakistan.

What is the strategic significance of the China-Pakistan relationship as often described diplomatically?

It is described as an 'all-weather strategic cooperative partnership' (or 'iron brothers'), marked by deep defence, economic (notably CPEC), and diplomatic cooperation that has remained stable across changes of government.

What is a 'most favoured nation' (MFN) status in international trade?

Under WTO rules, MFN means a country must extend any favourable trade terms (such as low tariffs) granted to one trading partner equally to all other WTO members, ensuring non-discrimination among partners.

What did the Tashkent Declaration (1966) resolve, and who mediated it?

It ended the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, with both sides agreeing to withdraw to pre-war positions and restore relations. It was mediated by the Soviet Union and signed in Tashkent by President Ayub Khan and PM Lal Bahadur Shastri.

What is the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and is Pakistan a signatory?

The NPT (1968) aims to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote peaceful use of nuclear energy, and pursue disarmament. Pakistan is not a signatory, as it is one of the few states outside the treaty that possess nuclear weapons.