Study gaps are among the most feared items in a Pakistani applicant's history and among the least dangerous when handled correctly. Nothing in any major destination's rules penalises a gap as such.
What gets penalised is an unaccounted year, because an unexplained period invites the reader to invent an explanation, and the invented one is never generous.
Ordinary reasons read perfectly well
Work experience, family responsibility, retakes, illness, self-study, caring for a relative, or preparing for a test you did not initially pass are all ordinary human circumstances. Stated plainly and evidenced where possible, they close the question rather than opening it.
Evidence helps: an employment letter, a course certificate, a medical note where appropriate. A documented year is not a gap at all.
How to write it
Two or three sentences, factual, unapologetic, placed where the timeline naturally reaches it. State what you did, why, and what it means for your readiness now.
Do not apologise, do not over-explain, and do not attach emotion to it. Length signals discomfort, and discomfort signals a problem.
In the interview
The correct response to a question about your gap is short, factual, and unembarrassed. Long defensive answers signal that you consider it a problem, and the officer takes the cue.
Rehearse the answer until it is automatic, because hesitation on this specific question is read as evasion rather than nerves.
Consistency
The account must match across your statement, CV, references, and interview. A gap explained one way on paper and another way in person is far more damaging than the gap itself.
Decide the honest, strongest version once, then carry it consistently through everything.