July 2024 Edition
Start July Quiz
July 2024 Current Affairs MCQs & Solutions
Top national & international current affairs questions for CSS, PMS, FPSC, PPSC, and NTS screening tests.
#1301
In 2024, which province launched the 'Himmat Card' to provide dedicated quarterly stipends to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)?
(a) Sindh
(b) Punjab
(c) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
(d) Balochistan
Explanation: The Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in 2024, launched the 'Himmat Card'. This initiative specifically targets non-working persons with disabilities, providing them with a quarterly stipend of PKR 10,500 to assist them in meeting their basic needs and improving their quality of life.
#1302
Which province introduced the 'Mazdoor Card' in 2024 to provide social security to industrial and domestic workers?
(a) Sindh
(b) Punjab
(c) KPK
(d) Balochistan
Explanation: The Mazdoor Card is an initiative of the Punjab Social Security Department. It aims to register all laborers (formal and informal) to provide them with healthcare facilities, marriage grants, and death grants, moving toward a formal social security net for the labor class.
#1303
The 'School Meal Program' (Free Lunch) was piloted in which federal territory in 2024 to improve student nutrition?
(a) Gilgit
(b) Islamabad
(c) Gwadar
(d) Muzaffarabad
Explanation: In 2024, the Ministry of Federal Education launched a program to provide free, nutritious mid-day meals to all primary students in public schools in Islamabad. This initiative aims to improve learning outcomes, reduce stunting, and encourage school enrollment in the capital territory.
#1304
The 'Poverty Scorecard' used by BISP is updated every few years. What is its primary data source as of 2024?
(a) Google Maps
(b) Door-to-door Digital NSER Survey
(c) Only tax returns
(d) Electricity bills
Explanation: To ensure that only the truly deserving receive benefits, the government conducts a nationwide digital survey. Enumerators visit every household with tablets to record assets and living conditions, creating a 'Poverty Score' that determines eligibility for multiple welfare programs.
#1305
Who became the first female Chief Minister in the history of Pakistan in February 2024?
(a) Sherry Rehman
(b) Maryam Nawaz Sharif
(c) Fahmida Mirza
(d) Hina Rabbani Khar
Explanation: Maryam Nawaz Sharif made history on February 26, 2024, when she was elected as the Chief Minister of Punjab, Pakistan's most populous province. This landmark appointment represented a significant shift in the country's political landscape, as she became the first woman to hold the office of Chief Executive of a province since the country's independence in 1947.
#1306
According to the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2024, Pakistan is ranked at which position out of 146 countries?
(a) 120th
(b) 135th
(c) 145th
(d) 100th
Explanation: In the Global Gender Gap Report 2024, Pakistan was ranked 145th out of 146 countries, highlighting significant challenges in achieving gender parity. The report evaluates four key dimensions: Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment. While there has been progress in political representation, Pakistan continues to struggle with low female labor force participation and high educational disparities.
#1307
Which Pakistani mountaineer became the first woman from the country to climb Mount Everest and K2 in a single season (2023-2024 cycle)?
(a) Samina Baig
(b) Naila Kiani
(c) Selena Khawaja
(d) Uzma Yusuf
Explanation: Naila Kiani has emerged as a prominent figure in Pakistani sports. In 2023 and 2024, she achieved remarkable feats by becoming the first Pakistani woman to scale multiple 8,000-meter peaks, including Mount Everest and K2, in very quick succession. Her achievements have brought international recognition to Pakistani female athletes and have inspired a new generation to take up adventure sports.
#1308
In the 2024-2025 context, what is the approximate percentage of female labor force participation in Pakistan?
(a) 10%
(b) 21% - 24%
(c) 45%
(d) 60%
Explanation: Female labor force participation in Pakistan remains relatively low, estimated at around 21% to 24% according to the latest Labor Force Surveys. This is due to various factors including cultural norms, lack of safe transport, and the high burden of unpaid domestic work. The government and private sector are currently working on 'Gender Inclusive' workplace policies to increase this participation to boost the national GDP.
#1309
The 26th Constitutional Amendment, passed in October 2024, has which implication for the judiciary that includes women?
(a) It bans women from becoming CJP
(b) It establishes constitutional benches which will include women judges based on seniority and merit
(c) It removes reserved seats
(d) It only applies to men
Explanation: The 26th Amendment introduced the concept of 'Constitutional Benches' in the Supreme Court. While it does not specifically mandate gender quotas, the inclusion of women judges like Justice Ayesha Malik and Justice Musarrat Hilali in these specialized benches is expected based on their expertise and seniority, further cementing the role of women in the country's constitutional law.
#1310
In 2024, which Pakistani province introduced a 'Quota' for women in the allotment of government-owned agricultural land to promote rural empowerment?
(a) Sindh
(b) Punjab
(c) KPK
(d) Balochistan
Explanation: Under the recent agricultural reforms in 2024-2025, the Punjab government has prioritized rural women in the distribution of state land for corporate and small-scale farming. This initiative aims to provide land ownership to women, which is a critical factor in their economic and social independence in rural communities.
#1311
The 'Womens Empowerment Package' announced in 2024-2025 includes which major feature for working mothers?
(a) Banning them from work
(b) Mandatory Day Care Centers in all government and large private offices
(c) Reducing their salaries
(d) Free luxury cars
Explanation: To encourage female labor force participation, the government has moved to enforce laws requiring workplaces to have day-care facilities. In 2024-2025, several grants were provided to offices to establish these centers, ensuring that working mothers can continue their careers while their children are in a safe and nearby environment.
#1312
Who is the first Pakistani woman to be appointed as an 'Ambassador' to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2024?
(a) Mumtaz Zahra Baloch
(b) Fauzia Fayyaz
(c) Ayesha Farooqi
(d) Sherry Rehman
Explanation: Fauzia Fayyaz, a senior career diplomat, has served as a counselor and later in key roles in Saudi Arabia, becoming the first female Pakistani diplomat in the Kingdom. Her work and recent appointments of senior female diplomats to Gulf countries reflect the changing dynamics of Pakistan's 'Diplomatic Diversity' in 2024-2025.
#1313
In 2024 and 2025, a major point of contention between the government and digital rights activists was the implementation of what technology?
(a) 5G Networks
(b) National Firewall
(c) Digital Rupee
(d) E-Voting Machines
Explanation: The installation of a 'National Firewall' for content filtering and the resulting internet slowdowns became a massive controversy in 2024-2025. Civil society and IT experts argued that it would harm the freelance economy and restricted the right to information and free digital communication.
#1314
Which social media platform remained blocked in Pakistan for over a year starting from February 2024?
(a) Facebook
(b) TikTok
(c) X (formerly Twitter)
(d) YouTube
Explanation: The platform X (Twitter) was restricted in Pakistan following the February 2024 general elections. The government cited national security concerns, while civil society challenged the ban in the Sindh and Islamabad High Courts as a violation of the right to expression.
#1315
In 2024, the ECP and the government faced criticism from civil society for 'internet shutdowns' during which specific day?
(a) Eid-ul-Fitr
(b) The Election Day (Feb 8, 2024)
(c) Independence Day
(d) Resolution Day
Explanation: On February 8, 2024, mobile and internet services were shut down across Pakistan. The government cited security concerns, but civil society and international observers criticized the move for hindering voters' access to polling information and the transmission of results.
#1316
The 'Niazi vs. ECP' and other digital rights cases in the Islamabad High Court in 2024 were overseen by which judge known for his focus on civil liberties?
(a) Justice Babar Sattar
(b) Justice Saqib Nisar
(c) Justice Qazi Faez Isa
(d) Justice Gulzar Ahmed
Explanation: Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court has been at the forefront of digital rights cases in 2024. He has repeatedly questioned the state's authority to conduct mass surveillance and install web-filtering systems without a clear legislative framework.
#1317
The 'Niazi vs. State' cases in 2024-2025 involving 'missing' social media activists were primarily handled through which legal writ?
(a) Habeas Corpus
(b) Certiorari
(c) Quo Warranto
(d) Prohibition
Explanation: The writ of Habeas Corpus ('produce the body') is the primary legal tool used by civil society lawyers to demand the release of individuals allegedly abducted by state agencies for their online or political activities.
#1318
The 'Niazi' vs. the State narrative in the media during 2024-2025 highlighted the divide between:
(a) Sports and Politics
(b) Pro-PTI digital media vs. the pro-Establishment traditional media
(c) Sindh and Punjab
(d) Religious vs. Secular law
Explanation: The 2024-2025 period saw a deep polarization where mainstream TV channels (regulated by PEMRA) were seen as carrying the state's narrative, while YouTube and X became the primary battlegrounds for the PTI's counter-narrative.
#1319
What is the total value of the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) approved by the IMF for Pakistan in September 2024 during Shahbaz Sharif's second tenure?
(a) $3 Billion
(b) $6 Billion
(c) $7 Billion
(d) $10 Billion
Explanation: In September 2024, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board approved a 37-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) arrangement for Pakistan worth approximately $7 billion (SDR 5,320 million). This program was designed to support the government's efforts to cement macroeconomic stability and create conditions for a stronger, more inclusive, and resilient growth through difficult structural reforms.
#1320
Which historic constitutional amendment was passed in October 2024, introducing significant reforms to the judicial appointment process?
(a) 25th Amendment
(b) 26th Amendment
(c) 27th Amendment
(d) 28th Amendment
Explanation: The 26th Constitutional Amendment, also known as the Constitutional Package, was passed in October 2024. Key provisions included the formation of a Judicial Commission to appoint judges, a fixed three-year tenure for the Chief Justice of Pakistan, and the establishment of constitutional benches in the Supreme Court and High Courts. The amendment aimed to ensure parliamentary oversight in the appointment of the top judiciary.