How to prepare the subject "PAKISTAN AFFAIRS"

How to prepare PAKISTAN AFFAIRS?

Being one of the compulsory subjects of CSS, PA matters the most in overall aggregate of any aspirant. A good strategy deployed to prepare PA would fetch good score ensuring a confident selection of the candidates. The previous syllabus comprised most of per-partition portion but now in the new syllabus, post-partition portion is significantly outnumbered in marks, with a view to equip the future officers with contemporary Pakistan issues, problems, challenges, needs and the threats Pakistan is and would face in the offing.
Book selection is a key to success especially in CSS, for any subject so utmost care must be taken while selecting material and books for preparation. The books recommended for all subjects are worth reading and supply a great knowledge if studied analytically, keeping the cramming element at arms’ length. A number of books are suggested for PA and it’s hard for one to go through all recommended books so a wise decision is to select books with maximum coverage of syllabus contents for your preparation.

The following books are helping: 

•   The idea of Pakistan by Stephen Coehn

• The future of Pakistan by Stephen and Cohen

•   Pakistan- A global studies handbook by Yasmeen moiudin

• Jahangir World times monthly magazine

•   Historical Struggle for Pakistan

These books would cover the syllabus to a considerable extent, but a full-fledged preparation would need further readings for some particular areas like: Islamization, nuclear programme, pakistan’s status in regional apparatus, security threats, Pakistan role in terrorism, the organizations Pakistan is part of which, energy crises and solutions etc.
STRATEGY
Divide the syllabus into 3,4 parts, include all the relevant topics in one portion, see the contents, select books, start reading with a critical perspective and don’t forget to highlight the important points in the book you are reading. I would suggest that prepare topic wise. Select a topic, read that from different books and make your own notes when you feel that you have gained enough knowledge about the topic. You can spend 2,3 days over a topic and the tactic must be used for every topic and question. Do read newspapers, magazines and editorials in local and foreign newspapers to add relevant and current updates to a particular question. Write one question 2 times, at least; one when making notes and the other time to make your short notes in form of bullets and important points for revision at the end before exams. It would save your time by ensuring command over certain topic. Do write as much as you can as writing practice with impressive styles and presentation matter a lot to the examiners. When you are reading papers or magazines and you find some relevant information on a topic, cut that piece and add in the file of that particular question, keep on reading as you manage to remove time. Maps, data, statistics, facts and figures and current surveys must be consulted for energy topics, nuclear deals, Pakistan current status, inter-state relations and almost every concerned area.
No subject should be neglected being tough or low scoring as it would affect your final aggregate to a great extent and may dump you ultimately.

Note:These tips are only for help and doesn't relate to any official statement, You can consider them Author's views.
Copyrights and credits : Mubashar Riaz Malik