Correct Answer:
B. 23 September 1955
Explanation:
The correct answer is 23 September 1955 because that is the exact date Pakistan formally signed the Baghdad Pact, a defensive alliance later renamed the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO).
- Step 1 (Alliance Genesis): Initiated originally by Iraq and Turkey in early 1955 to block Soviet expansion into the Middle East, the pact was quickly joined by Great Britain, Pakistan, and Iran.
- Step 2 (Name Transition): After Iraq officially withdrew from the pact in 1959 following its domestic military coup, the alliance headquarters moved to Ankara, Turkey, and was rebranded as CENTO until it dissolved in 1979.
- Incorrect Options:
- 14th August 1947 is incorrect because this marks the birth of Pakistan, predating any Cold War regional defense alliances by nearly a decade.
- 5th March 1959 is incorrect because this is the date Pakistan signed a separate bilateral defense agreement with the United States, rather than the initial Baghdad Pact.
- 1st January 1960 is incorrect because this is an arbitrary calendar date unrelated to the deployment or signing timeline of the treaty.