Question

Saira, Mumtaz, and Zeenat have a ball, a pen and a pencil, and each girl has just one object in hand. Among the following statements, only one is true and the other two are false.
I. Saira has a ball.
II. Mumtaz does not have the ball.
III. Zeenat does not have the pen.
Who has the ball?

• A. Saira
• B. Mumtaz
• C. Zeenat
• D. Cannot be determined

Hint:

When dealing with logical puzzles, eliminate options by considering which statements could logically coexist without contradictions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

We are given three statements and are told that only one of them is true.
- Statement I says Saira has a ball. If this is true, then Mumtaz and Zeenat must have the pen and pencil, respectively.
- Statement II says Mumtaz does not have the ball. If this is true, Mumtaz must have the pencil, leaving the ball for either Saira or Zeenat.
- Statement III says Zeenat does not have the pen. This would imply that Zeenat must have the ball or the pencil, but it conflicts with the other statements.
If we assume Statement I is true, then the following holds:
- Saira has the ball.
- Mumtaz must have the pencil, and Zeenat must have the pen.
Since this satisfies all conditions, the correct answer is Saira. Therefore, the correct answer is (A).