Samina Baig, hailing from Gilgit-Baltistan, became the first Pakistani woman to scale Mount Everest in 2013 and K2 in 2022. She uses her global platform to advocate for gender equality and the importance of educating girls in remote northern areas. Her achievements have inspired a social shift in perceptions regarding the capabilities of women in Pakistan's most challenging and male-dominated fields.
1462
Which Sufi reformer of the 17th century wrote 'Kashf-ul-Mahjub', the first Persian treatise on Sufism, and is the patron saint of Lahore?
Hazrat Ali Hajweri, popularly known as Data Ganj Bakhsh, was an 11th-century scholar and mystic who played a foundational role in the spread of Islam in the Punjab region. His book 'Kashf-ul-Mahjub' is a seminal work that explains the principles of Sufism in a way that aligns with Sharia. His shrine in Lahore remains a center for social and spiritual gathering, providing free food (Langar) and refuge to the poor for centuries.
1463
Parveen Rehman, who was tragically assassinated in 2013, was a social reformer dedicated to urban development in which Karachi slum?
Parveen Rehman was an architect and the director of the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP). She spent decades working on low-cost sanitation, housing, and land rights for the residents of Orangi Town, one of the world's largest informal settlements. Her reformist work focused on empowering local communities to solve their own infrastructure problems, making her a target for land mafias who opposed her documentation of land ownership.
1464
Which 18th-century religious reformer is credited with translating the Holy Quran into Persian to make it accessible to the masses in the subcontinent?
Shah Waliullah Dehlawi was a monumental figure in Islamic revivalism. Recognizing that the Persian-speaking elite and the common people were drifting away from the direct teachings of the Quran, he translated the scripture into Persian despite opposition from conservative circles. He believed that direct understanding of the Quran was essential for the spiritual and social reform of the Muslim community, laying the intellectual groundwork for future reform movements in Pakistan.
1465
Who is the current Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, serving his second term in this office?
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of the PML-N was elected as the Speaker of the National Assembly on March 1, 2024. He previously held the post from 2013 to 2018. As Speaker, he is responsible for maintaining order in the house and overseeing the legislative agenda during a period of intense political polarization.
1466
Who was elected as the 14th President of Pakistan in March 2024, becoming the first civilian to hold the office twice?
Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), was sworn in as the President of Pakistan for a second time on March 10, 2024. He previously served as President from 2008 to 2013. His second term is characterized by a role as a mediator between the various coalition partners in the federal government.
1467
Which term is used to describe the land between two converging rivers in Pakistan's geography?
A 'Doab' (Persian for 'Two Waters') refers to the tract of land lying between two converging rivers. Major doabs in Pakistan include the Rechna Doab (between Chenab and Ravi) and the Jech Doab (between Jhelum and Chenab).
1468
What is the 'Extended Fund Facility' (EFF) duration typically approved for Pakistan?
The EFF is a medium-term program. Most EFFs for Pakistan (such as the 2013, 2019, and 2024 programs) are designed for a period of 36 to 48 months to allow for deep-rooted structural reforms to take hold.
1469
The 2008-2013 period in Pakistan's economy was characterized by which major challenge?
Between 2008 and 2013, Pakistan faced a crippling energy crisis characterized by long hours of electricity load-shedding. This was due to a lack of investment in new generation capacity, reliance on expensive thermal fuels, and the growing circular debt, which severely hampered industrial productivity and slowed down GDP growth.
1470
The 2013-2018 PML-N government was the second in Pakistan's history to:
Continuing the democratic momentum started by the PPP (2008-2013), the PML-N government (2013-2018) became the second consecutive civilian administration to complete its full constitutional term and hand over power to the next elected assembly via a caretaker setup.
