Pakistan Affairs MCQs – Page 21 (Q201-210)

Panjnad, meaning 'five waters', is the confluence where the combined flow of the Sutlej (already merged with the Beas), Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum rivers meets before joining the Indus near the town of Mithankot in southern Punjab. The name reflects Punjab's own etymology, derived from 'panj' (five) and 'aab' (water), referring to these same tributaries that define the region. This confluence historically made the surrounding plains some of the most fertile land in the subcontinent, sustaining extensive irrigation and agriculture since ancient times. After partition, the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 allocated the three western rivers -- Indus, Jhelum and Chenab -- to Pakistan and the eastern rivers largely to India, reshaping water flows through this confluence.

The Ravi is generally regarded as the smallest of the five rivers of Punjab in terms of volume and length, flowing from the Himalayas through Indian Punjab before entering Pakistan near Lahore. Despite its relatively modest size, the river holds major historical and cultural significance, having watered the plains around Lahore for centuries and given the city much of its early agricultural foundation. Under the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, the Ravi was allocated largely to India along with the Sutlej and Beas, considerably reducing its flow into Pakistan in recent decades. The river eventually joins the Chenab before the combined waters flow into the Indus via the Panjnad confluence.

The Himalayas lie in the northeast of Pakistan, extending from the Indian border through Azad Kashmir and into parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, forming one of three great mountain systems converging in the country's north. Nanga Parbat, the world's ninth-highest peak, rises within the western Himalayan range in Gilgit-Baltistan, marking the range's dramatic westward extent. The Himalayas continue eastward across India, Nepal, Bhutan and China, forming the world's highest and longest mountain chain, home to Mount Everest. In Pakistan, the range meets the Karakoram and Hindu Kush near Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, creating one of the most striking high-altitude confluences on Earth.

The Sulaiman Range separates Balochistan from Punjab and Sindh, running roughly north-south along the eastern edge of Balochistan and forming a natural boundary between the Indus plains and the Balochistan plateau. The range includes Takht-e-Sulaiman, its highest peak, traditionally associated in local legend with the Prophet Suleiman (Solomon). Historically, passes through the Sulaiman Range, including the Gomal Pass, served as important trade and migration routes connecting the Indus valley with Afghanistan and Central Asia. The range's rugged terrain has also long been home to various Pashtun and Baloch tribal groups inhabiting its foothills and valleys.

Nanga Parbat, the ninth-highest peak in the world at 8,126 metres, is located in Gilgit-Baltistan, rising dramatically at the western edge of the Himalayan range near the Indus River gorge. Known as 'Killer Mountain' due to its historically high fatality rate among climbers, it was first successfully summited in 1953 by Austrian climber Hermann Buhl in a solo push without supplemental oxygen. The mountain's Rupal Face is considered one of the highest mountain faces in the world, presenting an extreme vertical challenge for mountaineers. Alongside K2, Nanga Parbat is one of five peaks over 8,000 metres located within Pakistan's northern territories.

Nanga Parbat is the second-highest peak of Pakistan, after K2, standing at 8,126 metres and ranking as the ninth-highest mountain in the world overall. It lies in Gilgit-Baltistan, at the western anchor of the Himalayan range, and is notorious among mountaineers for its extremely challenging and historically deadly climbing routes, earning it the nickname 'Killer Mountain'. Rakaposhi and Tirich Mir, though prominent peaks in the Karakoram and Hindu Kush ranges respectively, both stand considerably lower than Nanga Parbat. Pakistan is home to five of the world's fourteen peaks exceeding 8,000 metres, a concentration unmatched outside the wider Karakoram-Himalaya region.

Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush range at 7,708 metres, is located in Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, dominating the skyline of the surrounding valley. It was first summited in 1950 by a Norwegian expedition, making it one of the earlier major Himalayan-region peaks to be climbed. Chitral itself is a remote, historically semi-autonomous region bordering Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor, long known for its distinct Kalasha culture and scenic valleys. Tirich Mir's prominence marks the eastern extent of the Hindu Kush range, which meets the Karakoram and Himalayas further east near Gilgit-Baltistan.

Rakaposhi peak, standing at 7,788 metres, is located in the Karakoram mountain range, rising dramatically above the Hunza Valley in Gilgit-Baltistan. It is notable among mountaineers for having one of the greatest continuous vertical reliefs of any mountain on Earth, rising nearly 6,000 metres directly from the Hunza River valley floor to its summit. The peak was first successfully climbed in 1958 by a British-Pakistani expedition team. Rakaposhi's striking visibility from the Karakoram Highway near Hunza has made it one of the most photographed and recognisable peaks in northern Pakistan, drawing trekkers and climbers from around the world.

The Bolan Pass connects Balochistan with Afghanistan, cutting through the Toba Kakar and Central Brahui mountain ranges to link Quetta and the surrounding region with Kandahar. Historically, it served as a key trade and invasion route for armies and traders moving between Central Asia, Persia and the Indian subcontinent for centuries. The pass gained added strategic importance during the 19th-century Anglo-Afghan Wars, when British forces used it repeatedly to access Afghanistan. Today the pass carries a railway line built during colonial rule, alongside a modern highway, continuing its historic role as a vital corridor between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Lowari Pass connects Chitral with Dir district, providing a vital high-altitude route linking the remote, historically isolated Chitral valley to the rest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and onward to the rest of Pakistan. At an elevation of around 3,100 metres, the pass was traditionally closed for much of the winter due to heavy snowfall, cutting Chitral off for months at a time. The Lowari Tunnel, completed in phases and fully opened in 2017, now provides year-round access beneath the pass, dramatically improving connectivity and reducing Chitral's historic isolation. Chitral itself borders Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor and is home to Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush.