Pakistan Studies/Affairs MCQs
Topic Notes: Pakistan Studies/Affairs
MCQs and preparation resources for competitive exams, covering important concepts, past papers, and detailed explanations.
Plato
- Biography: Ancient Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, founder of the Academy in Athens.
- Important Ideas:
- Theory of Forms
- Philosopher-King
- Ideal State
21
Which province has the highest 'Poverty' weightage in the current NFC Award?
Answer:
Balochistan
Based on data used during the 2010 negotiations, Balochistan and certain regions of KP had the highest poverty indices. Consequently, they receive a larger relative share of the 10.3% allocated for 'Poverty and Backwardness'.
22
The 'Divisible Pool' taxes are collected by which federal agency?
Answer:
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)
The FBR is the primary tax collection agency for the federal government. It collects the income tax, sales tax, and customs duties that form the bulk of the divisible pool shared with the provinces via the NFC.
23
Which tax was recently a subject of debate for being moved from the 'Provincial' to the 'Federal' list to improve the divisible pool?
Answer:
Sales Tax on Services
While Sales Tax on Goods is federal, Sales Tax on Services is provincial. The federal government (FBR) has often proposed a 'National Tax Agency' or a unified sales tax to bring services into the federal net for better collection, but provinces have resisted this to maintain their fiscal autonomy.
24
What happens to the 'Straight Transfers' if a province does not produce any gas or oil?
Answer:
It receives zero straight transfers for those specific resources
Straight transfers are based on the 'Point of Origin' principle (Article 161). If a province like Punjab produces very little natural gas compared to Sindh or Balochistan, its straight transfers from gas royalty will be significantly lower.
25
In 2006, President Pervez Musharraf issued an 'Interim NFC Award' because provinces could not agree. How was the share distributed?
Answer:
41.5% to provinces with an annual increase of 1%
The 2006 Interim Award was a presidential intervention. It started the provincial share at 41.5% with a mandate to increase it by 1% annually, reaching 46.25% by the end of the five-year cycle, setting the stage for the massive jump to 57.5% in 2010.
26
Which of the following describes the relationship between the 'Census' and the NFC?
Answer:
NFC awards are based on the latest officially notified census data
Population is the heaviest weighted factor (82%) in the NFC formula. Therefore, any change in population data in a new Census (like the 2017 or 2023 Digital Census) drastically changes the financial shares of the provinces, making census results a sensitive political issue for the NFC.
27
What is the constitutional role of the 'President' after the NFC makes its recommendations?
Answer:
He must give effect to the recommendations by an Order
Under Article 160(4), once the NFC has made its recommendations, the President shall, by Order, specify the share of net proceeds of taxes to be given to the provinces. The President acts on the advice of the Prime Minister, but the Award itself is based on the commission's consensus.
28
The 'Collection Charges' deducted by the Federal Government before sharing the pool were reduced in the 7th NFC from 5% to:
Answer:
1%
To maximize the amount available for the provinces, the federal government agreed to reduce its service fee (collection charges) for tax administration from 5.0% to just 1.0% in the 2010 7th NFC Award.
29
Which province receives the highest per capita share under the current NFC arrangement?
Answer:
Balochistan
Due to the 'Inverse Population Density' criterion and the fixed percentage that doesn't decrease with population shifts, Balochistan receives the highest per capita transfer among the four provinces to compensate for its vast geography.
30
Why has the 8th and 9th NFC Awards been delayed for over a decade?
Answer:
Lack of political consensus and the federal government's desire to reduce provincial shares
Since 2015, multiple NFCs have been formed but failed to reach a consensus. The federal government often argues for a reduction in the provincial share (57.5%) to cover rising security and debt costs, while provinces refuse any reduction, citing Article 160(3A).