Optional Subjects

Russia or USSR or SU or Bolshevik
Q. No. 2. Discuss the core causes of the “Bolshevik Revolution” in Russia and explain its fundamental political and socio-economic impact on Western European politics. (2016)
Q. No. 2. To what extent did the regime established in Russia by the Bolsheviks represent its revolutionary ideology for consumerism, political stability, law and order, and social progress? (2018)
Q3. What are the Russian objectives behind the military intervention in Ukraine? Discuss Whether western sanctions can prove effective as an instrument to counter the Russian act. (2022)
Q. No. 7. Discuss Russia’s return to South Asia and United States’ Indo-Pacific Strategy. (2020)

Germany or Nazism
Q. No. 2. What were the foundational principles of Nazism using which Hitler raised to power in Germany? (2019)

Clash of Civilization
Q. No. 3. Critically analyze Samuel P. Huntington’s concept of “Clash of Civilizations”. Define its main characteristics and explain its devastating consequences on the different leading civilizations of the nations. (2016)

Foreign Policy
Q. No. 4. Discuss the moral imperatives of “Indian Foreign Policy” with the contending spirit of “Panchsheel” and evaluate how much it helps to strengthen diplomatic objectives of the country’s foreign policy? (2016)
Q. No. 5. An analysis of the anatomy of foreign policy is an essential pre-requisite to an understanding of the dynamics of International Relations. Analyze the central theme of Pakistan’s foreign policy in the war against terrorism? (2018)
Q. No. 6. How do rational theories of foreign policy explain state decision making? Discuss the tenets of the theory in light of the decision made by Pakistan in response to Saudi request of sending troops during the Yemen crisis in 2015. (2019)
Q3. Give a critical appraisal of Pakistan’s foreign policy from the perspective of Climate Change. (2021)
Q. No. 4. The manner in which a nation’s ideology dominates its foreign policy is constantly in confusion. Explore the relationship between capitalist democracy and foreign policy of the United States of America. (2018)

Pakistan & Afghanistan or Afghanistan only
Q. No. 5. Critically discuss main political, socio-economic and strategic hurdles between “Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations” and how can both countries come out from the Cold War scenario? (2016)
Q. No. 8. The most compelling challenge facing Afghanistan today is, dealing with the Afghan Taliban. What do you think of political engagement and accommodation between the Afghan government and Taliban giving way to stability in the region? (2018)
Q4. What could be the reason for the emerging water conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan? (2021)
Q. No. 6. Comment in detail on mechanism of conflict resolution between Pakistan and Afghanistan and on Durand line issue. (2020)
Q8. What are China’s interests in Afghanistan? Discuss its role and options in the country following the US exit. (2022)

Pakistan & India
Q. No. 2. Evaluate the significance of conflict between India and Pakistan in global perspective of terrorism. (2017)
Q. No. 6. Evaluate the significance of water conflict between India and Pakistan in perspective of Indus Water Treaty.( 2017)
Q5. How have the nuclear doctrines of India and Pakistan evolved? What do their current doctrines imply for deterrence stability in South Asia? (2022)
Q. No. 6. One of the most serious dilemmas of South Asian politics is the contentious relations between Pakistan and India. What measures would you consider for normalization between the two neighbors? (2018)
Q. No. 7. What benefits India might have gained by joining the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)? Highlight possible impacts it may have upon strategic stability in South Asia (2019)
Q. No. 7. Discuss “Nuclear Factor” as one of the major determinants of International politics with reference to USA, India, and Pakistan. (2017)

Kashmir Conflict
Q. No. 7. Prepare a study in which you assess the possibility of settlement of the Kashmir conflict such as in the case of East Timor or Bosnian crisis? (2018)

Balance of Power
Q6. Define the “Balancing Act” in International Relations. What are Pakistan’s imperatives and constraints with regard to maintaining balance in relations with the major powers? (2022)

Diplomacy
Q. No. 8. Explain the following diagram in the light of multi-track diplomacy. Which is the most important track of diplomacy and why? (2020)

Water Conflict
Q4. What could be the reason for the emerging water conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan? (2021)
Q. No. 2. Evaluate the significance of conflict between India and Pakistan in global perspective of terrorism. (2017)

Covid-19 pandemic
Q6. What is a pandemic? How can the pandemic management strategy be made part of the governance system of Pakistan? (2021)

Governance
Q6. What is a pandemic? How can the pandemic management strategy be made part of the governance system of Pakistan? (2021)

Climate Change
Q. No. 8. Pakistan is one of the top 10 countries hit by global climate change trends: what can be the ways and means to manage climate change trends? (2017)
Q. No. 2. What are the multidimensional and multifaceted impacts of climate change on multiple dimensions of security? Identify each, discuss and analyze under the theoretical framework of Security and International Relations. (2020)

Cold War
Q. No. 5. Critically discuss main political, socio-economic and strategic hurdles between “Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations” and how can both countries come out from the Cold War scenario? (2016)
Q. No. 3. Evaluate the strength and liabilities of the “containment of world revolution policy” during the cold war. (2018)
Q. No. 3. Cold war is considered as one of the longest peace in great powers’ history. What deterministic factors ensured relative peace in great powers’ relations during the Cold War? (2019)

Nuclear Program
Q. No. 6. Discuss the “Moral Dimensions of Pakistan’s Nuclear Programme”. Explain its essential features and justify its offensive gesture which maintained the national and regional strategic balance. (2016)
Q5. How have the nuclear doctrines of India and Pakistan evolved? What do their current doctrines imply for deterrence stability in South Asia? (2022)
Q. No. 7. Discuss “Nuclear Factor” as one of the major determinants of International politics with reference to USA, India, and Pakistan. (2017)

IMF
Q. No. 7. Critically discuss the fundamental factors of “Greece Economic Crisis” which need huge financial assistance from European Union and IMF as debt relief to create “a breathing space” to stabilize the economy and explain the out-of-the-box solution for the crisis-ridden country. (2016)
Q. No. 8. What are the major policy prescriptions of structural adjustment and stabilization of the World Bank and IMF vis-à-vis Pakistan? (2019)

Economic Crisis
Q. No. 7. Critically discuss the fundamental factors of “Greece Economic Crisis” which need huge financial assistance from European Union and IMF as debt relief to create “a breathing space” to stabilize the economy and explain the out-of-the-box solution for the crisis-ridden country. (2016)

International Political Economy or International Financial Institution
Q7. Examine the achievements and challenges in EU-Pakistan relations from the perspective of International political economy. (2022)
Q. No. 4. Determine the factors in the emergence of Neoliberal Institutionalism; highlight your discussion with practices of International Financial Institutions and Pakistan. (2017)

Energy Crisis or Energy Policy
Q. No. 5. How can the energy Crisis of Pakistan be resolved? Emphasize your discussion vis-a-vis China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. (2017)
Q5. Discuss the National Energy Policy of Pakistan in the context of the CPEC signed in 2015. (2021)

CPEC or OBOR
Q. No. 5. How can the energy Crisis of Pakistan be resolved? Emphasize your discussion vis-a-vis China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. (2017)
Q2. Examine China Strategic Vision behind ‘The Belt and Road initiative (BRI)’? Also known as the one belt one road (OBOR). (2021)
Q5. Discuss the National Energy Policy of Pakistan in the context of the CPEC signed in 2015. (2021)

Pakistan & Middle East or Muslim World
Q. No. 8. Pakistan has formally joined Saudi Arabia’s led 34-state Islamic military alliance to contain terrorism and extremism in Southwest Asia. Critically discuss whether or not Pakistan participates in the newly formed military alliance against terrorism and explain its political, socio-cultural and strategic implications on the country. (2016)
Q. No. 6. How do rational theories of foreign policy explain state decision making? Discuss the tenets of the theory in light of the decision made by Pakistan in response to Saudi request of sending troops during the Yemen crisis in 2015. (2019)

Regional Organization
Q. No. 5. SAARC is facing an existential crisis. How do functionalists explain the failure of SAARC as a regional organization? (2019)
Q7. Why and when was the BRICS established? Which countries are part of BRICS? (2021)
Q4. Why does South Asia remain the least integrated region in the world? What lessons can SAARC draw from the EU and ASEAN experience in regional integration? (2022)

Pakistan & EU
Q7. Examine the achievements and challenges in EU-Pakistan relations from the perspective of International political economy. (2022)

South Asia
Q4. Why does South Asia remain the least integrated region in the world? What lessons can SAARC draw from the EU and ASEAN experience in regional integration? (2022)
Q5. How have the nuclear doctrines of India and Pakistan evolved? What do their current doctrines imply for deterrence stability in South Asia? (2022)
Q. No. 6. One of the most serious dilemmas of South Asian politics is the contentious relations between Pakistan and India. What measures would you consider for normalization between the two neighbors? (2018)
Q. No. 7. Discuss Russia’s return to South Asia and United States’ Indo-Pacific Strategy. (2020)
Q. No. 7. What benefits India might have gained by joining the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)? Highlight possible impacts it may have upon strategic stability in South Asia (2019)

Warfare or Hybrid Warfare
Q8. How can Pakistan develop credible capabilities to deter ‘Hybrid’ warfare? (2021)

US & China or global powers
Q8. What are China’s interests in Afghanistan? Discuss its role and options in the country following the US exit. (2022)
Q. No. 5. Differentiate between Washington consensus and Beijing consensus. Is Beijing consensus a challenge to the Washington consensus? (2020)
Q2. What are the key features of the US new Indo-Pacific strategy under Joe Biden’s administration? How does it treat China? (2022)
Q. No. 4. World orders are established by great powers in order to serve their interests. What are the foundations of existing world order(s) and how do they serve the interests of great powers? (2019)

Indo-Pacific
Q2. What are the key features of the US new Indo-Pacific strategy under Joe Biden’s administration? How does it treat China? (2022)
Q. No. 7. Discuss Russia’s return to South Asia and United States’ Indo-Pacific Strategy. (2020)

Terrorism
Q. No. 5. An analysis of the anatomy of foreign policy is an essential pre-requisite to an understanding of the dynamics of International Relations. Analyze the central theme of Pakistan’s foreign policy in the war against terrorism? (2018)
Q. No. 2. Evaluate the significance of conflict between India and Pakistan in global perspective of terrorism. (2017)
Q. No. 8. Pakistan has formally joined Saudi Arabia’s led 34-state Islamic military alliance to contain terrorism and extremism in Southwest Asia. Critically discuss whether or not Pakistan participates in the newly formed military alliance against terrorism and explain its political, socio-cultural and strategic implications on the country. (2016)
Q. No. 4. Why is it difficult to define terrorism? Elaborate upon the following: (2020)
(a) Feminization of terrorism
(b) Criminalization of terrorism
(c) Commercialization of terrorism
(d) State-terrorism

Miscellaneous
Q. No. 3. Elaborate Systems Thinking Theory in view of Pakistan and Globalization. (2017)
Q. No. 3. What are the four essentials of Resource Management? When does a resource become an element of power “OR” a resource curse? Discuss the Reko-Diq case in this context. (2020)