ASF Past Paper of Assistant Director 2025 FPSC

Pakistan experienced a widespread electricity blackout in January 2023, which was officially attributed to a faulty grid synchronization issue. This technical malfunction led to a cascading failure across the national power transmission system, causing power plants to trip offline.

• A Cyberattack was investigated but not confirmed as the cause for this specific incident.
• While Fuel shortage can lead to load shedding or planned outages, it typically doesn't result in a sudden, nationwide grid collapse like the one observed.
• The 'None of these' option is incorrect as a specific technical fault was identified.

This event highlighted vulnerabilities in the country's power infrastructure.

A "mantrap" is primarily used to Prevent tailgating. A mantrap, also known as an access control vestibule or airlock, is a small, secure area with two doors where only one door can be opened at a time. This design ensures that only one authorized person can enter at a time, preventing unauthorized individuals from following closely behind.

• While it enhances security, its primary function isn't to 'Catch intruders automatically' in the sense of an alarm, but to control entry.
• It does not directly 'Alert police' but rather restricts access.
• Therefore, 'None of these' is incorrect as preventing tailgating is its core function.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a massive infrastructure project. By 2023, CPEC had transitioned into its Industrialization phase. This second phase focuses on establishing Special Economic Zones (SEZs), promoting industrial cooperation, and enhancing agricultural and socio-economic development, moving beyond the initial infrastructure development.

• The Planning phase was the initial conceptual stage of the project.
• The Early Harvest phase involved the rapid completion of critical energy and infrastructure projects, largely concluding before 2023.
• 'None of these' is incorrect as the project has clearly defined phases.

The shift to industrialization signifies a deeper economic integration and development focus.

The correct answer is Both (A) & (B). In access control, it is essential that All officers need them (security cards) to perform their duties and access authorized areas. Equally critical is to Report loss immediately to prevent unauthorized access if a card falls into the wrong hands. Prompt reporting allows for deactivation of the lost card.

• Option (A) alone is incomplete as card loss management is vital.
• Option (B) alone is incomplete as officers need cards for daily operations.
• Therefore, 'None of these' is incorrect because both statements are crucial for effective security card usage.

The 2023 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian human rights activist. She received the prestigious award for her courageous fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her unwavering commitment to promoting human rights and freedom for all.

• Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her advocacy for girls' education.
• Ales Bialiatski, a Belarusian human rights advocate, was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.
• The option 'None of these' is incorrect as Narges Mohammadi is the rightful recipient for 2023.

The Nobel Peace Prize recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to peace.

The correct answer is FIFA World Cup. Qatar made history by hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022, marking the first time the prestigious football tournament was held in the Middle East. This event garnered global attention and involved significant infrastructure development. The Asian Cup is a regional football tournament, not a major international event of the same global scale. The Olympics are a multi-sport event, and Qatar did not host them in 2022. Thus, options A, B, and D are incorrect.

The correct answer is Bangladesh. In early 2024, Bangladesh experienced widespread mass protests following its general election, with significant allegations of election rigging and a boycott by major opposition parties. These protests drew international attention due to concerns over democratic integrity. While other countries may face political unrest, the specific context of mass protests over election rigging in 2024 points directly to Bangladesh. Russia and India did not experience such widespread, internationally reported protests specifically over election rigging in early 2024. Therefore, options A, B, and D are incorrect.

The correct answer is ECO. The Regional Cooperation for Development (RCD) was an organization established in 1964 by Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey to promote economic and cultural cooperation. In 1985, the RCD was restructured and renamed the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), expanding its scope and membership. SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) and SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) are distinct regional organizations with different origins, member states, and objectives. Therefore, options A, C, and D are incorrect.

The correct answer is Iran. Iran holds the distinction of being the first country to officially recognize Pakistan as an independent state in the United Nations. This recognition was a significant diplomatic milestone for the newly formed nation.

• India: While a neighboring country, India's recognition came later, and the relationship was complex due to partition.
• China: China established diplomatic relations with Pakistan later, becoming a strong ally over time, but not the first to recognize it.
• None of these: This is incorrect as Iran did recognize Pakistan.

Understanding early international recognition is crucial for grasping Pakistan's initial foreign policy and diplomatic standing.

To convert a decimal to a percentage, you multiply the decimal by 100 and add the percent symbol (%).

• The correct answer is 208%. When you multiply 2.08 by 100, you get 208. So, 2.08 is equivalent to 208%.
• 20% would be 0.20 in decimal form.
• 20.80% would be 0.208 in decimal form.

Understanding this conversion rule is fundamental for working with percentages and decimals accurately.

The 2023 Turkish presidential election saw a runoff between the incumbent and his main challenger.

• The correct answer is Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He won the second round of the presidential election in May 2023, securing another term as President of Turkiye.
• Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu was the main opposition candidate who challenged Erdoğan in the election but ultimately lost.
• Ekrem Imamoğlu is a prominent opposition figure and the current Mayor of Istanbul, but he was not a presidential candidate in the 2023 election.

This election was a significant political event in Turkiye.

The year 2023 witnessed significant events in the US banking sector, including notable collapses.

• The correct answer is Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). SVB collapsed in March 2023, marking one of the largest bank failures in US history since the 2008 financial crisis. Its failure was primarily due to a bank run triggered by concerns over its financial health and interest rate risks.
• Bank of America and JPMorgan are two of the largest and most stable banks in the United States and did not collapse in 2023.

The collapse of SVB had ripple effects across the financial industry.

The BRICS summit is an annual meeting of the heads of state or government of the five member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

• The correct answer is South Africa. The 15th BRICS Summit was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 22-24, 2023.
• While China and India are prominent members of the BRICS group, they were not the host nations for the 2023 summit. The host country rotates among the members.

This summit was particularly notable for discussions on expanding the BRICS membership.

Foundational Concept: An adverb phrase is a group of words that functions as an adverb, modifying a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. It typically answers questions like how, when, where, or to what extent an action occurs.

Correct Option: In the sentence, "Running fast" describes how "they caught" the bus. Since it modifies the verb "caught" by providing information about the manner of the action, it functions as an adverb phrase.

• Noun phrase: A noun phrase acts as a noun, serving as a subject, object, or complement. "Running fast" does not name a person, place, or thing.
• Adjective phrase: An adjective phrase modifies a noun or pronoun. "Running fast" does not describe "they" or "bus" directly as an adjective would.

National security policies often evolve to address contemporary challenges and priorities.

• The correct answer is Economic security. The National Security Policy 2022–26, particularly referring to Pakistan's policy, marked a significant shift in focus from traditional geopolitical and military concerns to prioritizing economic stability and growth as the cornerstone of national security.
• While Military modernization and maintaining Regional power are components of any comprehensive national security strategy, they were not identified as the overarching theme of this specific policy document.

This policy aimed to leverage economic strength for overall national resilience and well-being.

Foundational Concept: An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun, providing more information about its qualities, characteristics, or quantity.

Correct Option: The word "bright" describes the noun "sun," indicating its quality or appearance. Therefore, "bright" functions as an adjective in this sentence.

• Sun: "Sun" is a noun, the subject of the sentence, referring to the celestial body.
• Warmed: "Warmed" is a verb, representing the action performed by the sun.
• None of these: This is incorrect because "bright" is clearly an adjective.

The correct answer is Myanmar. Cyclone Mocha, a powerful tropical cyclone, made landfall in May 2023, causing extensive damage and humanitarian crisis primarily in Myanmar, particularly in the Rakhine State. While Bangladesh was also affected and prepared for the storm, Myanmar bore the brunt of its destructive force, experiencing widespread devastation to infrastructure and displacement of populations. India was not directly hit by the cyclone. Therefore, Myanmar was the worst-hit nation.

Foundational Concept: To change an active voice sentence to passive voice, the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence. The verb form changes to a form of "to be" + the past participle of the main verb. For future perfect tense questions, the structure is "Will + object + not + have been + past participle + by + subject?"

Correct Option: "Will a song not have been sung by her?" correctly transforms the active voice question into the passive voice. "The song" (the object) becomes the subject, and the verb "have sung" becomes "have been sung." The interrogative structure is maintained.

• Option B: "Will she have not been sung a song?" incorrectly keeps "she" as the subject and does not form the passive voice correctly.
• Option C: "Will have a song not been sung by her?" has an incorrect word order for an interrogative sentence; "Will" should precede the subject "a song."

The correct answer is Finland. In 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Finland, a Nordic country, applied for and was invited to join NATO. Finland officially became the 31st member of the alliance in April 2023. Sweden also applied for membership at the same time but faced delays in its accession process. Ireland is not a Nordic country and maintains a policy of military neutrality, thus it was not invited to join NATO.

Foundational Concept: When changing an interrogative sentence with a 'Wh-' word from active to passive voice, the 'Wh-' word remains at the beginning. The structure typically becomes 'Wh- word + helping verb + object (as subject) + be + past participle + by + original subject?'.

Correct Option: "When will a car be bought by you?" correctly converts the active voice question to passive voice. "A car" (the object) becomes the subject, "buy" becomes "be bought," and "you" becomes "by you." The 'When' and interrogative structure are preserved.

• Option B: "When a car will be bought by you?" is incorrect because it loses the interrogative structure; "will" should precede "a car" in a question.
• Option C: "When will be a car bought by you?" has an incorrect word order; "be" should come after the subject "a car."

Foundational Concept: When changing direct speech (a question) into indirect speech (reported speech), the reporting verb changes (e.g., "said" to "asked"), the question mark is removed, and the sentence structure becomes declarative. Modal verbs like "May" typically change to "might" in reported speech, and pronouns adjust accordingly.

Correct Option: "He asked if he might open the window..." correctly transforms the direct question into indirect speech. "May I" becomes "if he might," and the reporting verb "asked" is used to indicate a question. The ellipsis indicates the sentence continues, but the core transformation is accurate.

• Option A: "He said that by God..." is completely irrelevant and does not reflect the original question.
• Option C: "He asked if he might open the window... as it was hot?" adds information ("as it was hot") not present in the original direct speech, which is generally avoided in strict narration changes unless context is explicitly given.

This question tests your ability to convert direct speech into indirect speech, also known as narration change. The phrase "By God" indicates an oath, which is best conveyed by the verb "swore" in indirect speech. The pronoun "I" changes to "he" to reflect the speaker, and the present tense "do not know" shifts to the past tense "did not know" in indirect speech. The object "his name" remains unchanged.

• Option B: "He swore that he did not know his name." is correct because it accurately transforms the oath, pronoun, and verb tense.
• Option A: "He said that by God..." is incorrect as it doesn't properly convert the oath into an appropriate verb.
• Option C: "He swore that he did not know my name." is incorrect because it changes "his name" to "my name," altering the original meaning.

This question assesses the correct usage of "affect" and "effect." Generally, "affect" is a verb meaning to influence, while "effect" is a noun meaning a result or outcome. There are exceptions, but this rule applies to the given options.

• Option D: "None of these" is the correct answer because all other options contain grammatical errors.
• Option A: "...effect everyone..." is incorrect. It should be "affect everyone" because a verb is needed to describe the action of influencing.
• Option B: "...pohey will affect..." is incorrect. While "will affect" uses "affect" correctly as a verb, "pohey" is not a recognized English word, making the sentence nonsensical.
• Option C: "...a positive affect on..." is incorrect. It should be "a positive effect on" because "effect" (noun) is needed to describe the result or impact.