Divisions of Pakistan#Administered territories

{{Short description|Second-level administrative regions of Pakistan}}

{{Infobox subdivision type

| name = Divisions of Pakistan

| alt_name =

| alt_name1 =

| alt_name2 =

| alt_name3 =

| map = File:Blank Divisions of Pakistan.svg

| caption = Map of divisions of Pakistan

| alt =

| category = Second-level administrative division

| territory = Islamic Republic of Pakistan

| upper_unit =

| start_date =

| start_date1 =

| start_date2 =

| legislation_begin =

| legislation_begin1 =

| legislation_begin2 =

| legislation_end =

| legislation_end1 =

| legislation_end2 =

| end_date =

| end_date1 =

| end_date2 =

| current_number = 36

| number_date = 2023

| type =

| type1 =

| type2 =

| type3 =

| type4 =

| status =

| status1 =

| status2 =

| status3 =

| status4 =

| exofficio =

| exofficio1 =

| exofficio2 =

| exofficio3 =

| exofficio4 =

| population_range =

| area_range =

| government = Divisional government

| subdivision = Districts
Tehsils
Union councils

}}

The administrative units of Pakistan contains four provinces, two administrative territories of the Kashmir region and a capital territory. The provinces and administrative territories are subdivided into 36 divisions. These divisions are further subdivided into districts, tehsils, and finally union councils. The divisions were abolished in 2000, but restored in 2008.

The divisions do not include the Islamabad Capital Territory. The formerly Federally Administered Tribal Areas, which were counted at the same level as provinces, have been subsumed into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and allocated to neighbouring divisions therein in 2018.

History

Administrative divisions had formed an integral tier of government from colonial times. The Governor's provinces of British India were subdivided into divisions, which were themselves subdivided into districts. At independence in 1947, the new nation of Pakistan comprised two wings – eastern and western, separated by India. Three of the provinces of Pakistan were subdivided into ten administrative divisions. The single province in the eastern wing, East Bengal, had four divisions – Chittagong, Dacca, Khulna and Rajshahi. The province of West Punjab had four divisions – Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi and Sargodha. The North-West Frontier Province (as it was then called) had two divisions – Dera Ismail Khan and Peshawar. Most of the former Sind Province became Hyderabad Division. Most of the divisions were named after the divisional capitals, with some exceptions.

From 1955 to 1970, the One Unit policy meant that there were only two provinces – East and West Pakistan. East Pakistan had the same divisions as East Bengal had previously, but West Pakistan gradually gained seven new divisions to add to the original six. The Baluchistan States Union became Kalat Division, while the former Baluchistan Chief Commissioner's Province became Quetta Division. Princely State of Khairpur and with some parts of Hyderabad division were joining to form Khairpur Division. The former princely state of Bahawalpur became Bahawalpur Division, therefore joining West Punjab. The Federal Capital Territory was absorbed into West Pakistan in 1959 and in 1960 merged with the district of Las Bela to form the Karachi-Bela Division. In 1969, the princely states of Chitral, Dir and Swat were incorporated into West Pakistan as the division of Malakand with Saidu as the divisional headquarters. In 1975, Khairpur division abolished and replace it with Sukkur Division. In 1980, Sukkur division(Formally Khairpur division) was bifurcated to create Larkana division. In 1990, Mirpurkhas division created by bifurcation of Hyderabad division.

==New Divisions==

When West Pakistan was dissolved, the divisions were regrouped into four new provinces. Gradually over the late 1970s, new divisions were formed; Hazara and Kohat divisions were split from Peshawar Division; Gujranwala Division was formed from parts of Lahore and Rawalpindi divisions; Dera Ghazi Khan Division was split from Multan Division; Faisalabad Division was split from Sargodha Division; Sibi Division was formed from parts of Kalat and Quetta divisions; Lasbela District was transferred from Karachi Division to Kalat Division; Makran Division split from Kalat Division. The name of Khairpur Division was changed to Sukkur Division and Headquarters of Khairpur Division shifted from khairpur to Sukkur. Shaheed Benazirabad is also a new division in Sindh.

During the military rule of General Zia-ul-Haq, the Advisory Council of Islamize Ideology (headed by Justice Tanzilur Rahman) was tasked with finding ways to Islamic the country. One of its recommendations was that the existing four provinces should be dissolved and the twenty administrative divisions should become new provinces in a federal structure with greater devolution of power, but this proposal was never implemented.

In the recent past (i.e. in last three decades), Naseerabad Division was split from Sibi Division; Zhob Division was split from Quetta Division; Bannu Division was split from Dera Ismail Khan Division; Mardan Division was split from Peshawar Division; Larkana Division were split from Sukkur Division and Shaheed Benazirabad Division{{cite web|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1108462|title=Shaheed Benazirabad made division|author=|date=25 May 2014}} Mirpur Khas Division was split from Hyderabad Division. Sahiwal Division was formed from parts of Lahore and Multan Divisions while Sheikhupura Division was formed from Lahore and Faisalabad Divisions. The capital of Kalat Division was moved from Kalat to Khuzdar. Rakhshan Division is recently added to Balochistan comprising parts of Quetta and Kalat Divisions with capital at Kharan.

Recently in June 2021, Loralai Division was added to Balochistan, by splitting off from Zhob Division.{{Cite web |author=|date=2021-06-30 |title=New division, two districts created in Balochistan |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1632216 |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=DAWN.COM |language=en}}

Abolition

In August 2000, local government reforms abolished the "Division" as an administrative tier and introduced a system of local government councils, with the first elections held in 2001. Following that there was radical restructuring of the local government system to implement "the principle of subsidiarity, whereby all functions that can be effectively performed at the local level are transferred to that level". This meant devolution of many functions, to districts and tehsils, which were previously handled at the provincial and divisional levels. At abolition, there were twenty-six divisions in Pakistan proper – five in Sindh, six in Balochistan, seven in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and eight in Punjab. Abolition did not affect the three divisions of Azad Kashmir, which form the second tier of government.

Restoration

In 2008, after the public elections, the new government decided to restore the divisions of all provinces.{{cite web |url=https://www.nation.com.pk/26-Oct-2008/commissionerate-system-restored |title=Commissionerate system restored |date=26 October 2008 |access-date=2010-04-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109092219/http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/26-Oct-2008/Commissionerate-system-restored |archive-date=2010-01-09 |url-status=live }}

In Sindh after the lapse of the Local Governments Bodies term in 2010 the Divisional Commissioners system was to be restored.{{Cite web|url=http://www.emoiz.com/commissioner-system-to-be-restored-soon-sindh-cm|title=502 Bad Gateway|website=www.emoiz.com|access-date=2010-04-26|archive-date=2018-12-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226145022/http://www.emoiz.com/win.php|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://www.geo.tv/5-26-2009/42856.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120731171324/http://www.geo.tv/5-26-2009/42856.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-31 |title=Commissioner system to be restored soon: Durrani }}{{Cite web|url=http://eproperty.pk/news/2009/07/31/sindh-commissioner-system-may-be-revived-today|title=Sindh: Commissioner system may be revived today|access-date=2010-04-26|archive-date=2019-01-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190106213139/https://eproperty.pk/news/2009/07/31/sindh-commissioner-system-may-be-revived-today|url-status=dead}}

In July 2011, following excessive violence in the city of Karachi and after the political split between the ruling PPP and the majority party in Sindh, the MQM and after the resignation of the MQM Governor of Sindh, PPP and the Govt. of Sindh decided to restore the commissioner system in the province. As a consequence, the five divisions of Sindh have been restored namely, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Larkana with their respective districts. One new division was added in Sindh, the Shaheed Benazirabad division.{{cite web |url=https://www.nation.com.pk/12-Jul-2011/commissioners-dcs-posted-in-sindh |title=Commissioners, DCs posted in Sindh |date=12 July 2011 |access-date=2011-07-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713092405/http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/12-Jul-2011/Commissioners-DCs-posted-in-Sindh |archive-date=2011-07-13 |url-status=live }}

Karachi district has been de-merged into its 5 original constituent districts namely Karachi East, Karachi West, Karachi Central, Karachi South and Malir. Korangi has been upgraded to the status of a sixth district of Karachi by splitting from Karachi East District. Recently Keamari District is formed by bifurcating Karachi West District. These seven districts form the Karachi Division now.{{Cite web |last=anjum |title=Sindh back to 5 divisions after 11 years {{!}} Pakistan Today |date=11 July 2011 |url=https://archive.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/07/11/sindh-back-to-5-divisions-after-11-years/ |access-date=2022-05-05 |language=en-GB}}

Current divisions by administrative units

The following tables show the current total 36 divisions of Pakistan with 30 divisions by province i.e., 8 divisions of Balochistan, 7 divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 9 divisions of Punjab, amd 6 divisions of Sindh, with their respective populations as of the 2023 Census of Pakistan,{{cite web |title=Households, Populations, Household Size and Annual Growth Rate {{!}} Balochistan |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/Balochistan.pdf |website=pbs.gov.pk |publisher=Pakistan Bureau Statistics |access-date=8 May 2025}}{{cite web |title=Households, Populations, Household Size and Annual Growth Rate {{!}} Punjab |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/Punjab.pdf |website=pbs.gov.pk |publisher=Pakistan Bureau Statistics |access-date=8 May 2025}}{{cite web |title=Households, Populations, Household Size and Annual Growth Rate {{!}} Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/KP.pdf |website=pbs.gov.pk |publisher=Pakistan Bureau Statistics |access-date=8 May 2025}}{{cite web |title=Households, Populations, Household Size and Annual Growth Rate {{!}} Sindh |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/Sindh.pdf |website=pbs.gov.pk |publisher=Pakistan Bureau Statistics |access-date=8 May 2025}}and the 6 divisions of Pakistan–administered regions of Kashmir; 3 for Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan each.

= Provinces =

== Balochistan ==

File:Divisions of Balochistan.jpg

== Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ==

File:Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan with district names- in 2022 by Vijay Kumar.jpg

== Punjab ==

{{Excerpt|Divisions of Punjab, Pakistan#List of divisions by population over the years}}

== Sindh ==

{{Excerpt|Divisions of Sindh#List of the Divisions by area, population, density, literacy rate etc.}}

= Administered territories =

Division\|\|Area (km²)\|\|Population 1998 Census\|\|Population 2017 Census !Population 2023 Census\|\|Capital
class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;" ! colspan="6" \| Divisions of Azad Jammu & Kashmir
Mirpur	align="right"\|4,388	align="right"\|1,198,249	align="right"\|1,651,018 \|N/A	Mirpur
Muzaffarabad	align="right"\|6,117	align="right"\|745,733	align="right"\|1,072,150 \|N/A	Muzaffarabad
Poonch	align="right"\|2,792	align="right"\|1,028,541	align="right"\|1,322,198 \|N/A	Rawalakot
colspan="6" \| Divisions of Gilgit-Baltistan
Division\|\|Area (km²)\|\|Population 1998 Census\|\|Population 2017 Census !Population 2023 Census\|\|Capital
Gilgit\|
\| N/A	N/A \|N/A	Gilgit
Baltistan\|
\| N/A	N/A \|N/A	Skardu
Diamer\|
\| N/A	N/A \|N/A	Chilas

List of all divisions by population, area, density, literacy rate etc.

class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers static-row-header-hash"

|+List of the divisions by population, area, density, literacy rate etc.

! Division

!Population

(2023)

! Area
(km²) !! Density/
(km²)

(2017)

!Literacy

rate

(2023)

{{Cite web |title=Population of the districts of KPK |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/table_12_kp_province.pdf}}{{Cite web |title=Population of the districts of Punjab |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/table_12_punjab_province.pdf}}{{Cite web |title=Population of the districts of Balochistan |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/table_12_balcohistan_province.pdf}}{{Cite web |title=Population of the districts of Sindh |url=https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/table_12_sindh_province.pdf}}

! Capital !! Province

Islamabad

|2,363,863

|906

|2214.76

|83.97%

|Islamabad

Dera Ismail Khan

|3,188,779

|9,005

|224.21

|41.73%

| Dera Ismail Khan

| rowspan="7" | KPK

Bannu

|3,092,078

|4,391

|465.51

|42.11%

| Bannu

Kohat

|3,752,436

|7,012

|316.45

|50.89%

|Kohat

Hazara

|6,188,736

|17,194

|309.7

|60.95%

|Abbottabad

Malakand

|9,959,399

|29,872

|251.56

|47.51%

|Saidu

Mardan

|4,639,498

|3,046

|1312.43

|56.90%

|Mardan

Peshawar

|10,035,171

|4,001

|1850.49

|51.32%

|Peshawar

Dera Ghazi Khan

|12,892,465

|38,778

|284.04

|48.00%

| Dera Ghazi Khan

| rowspan="10" | Punjab

Lahore

|22,772,710

|11,727

|1654.14

|73.63%

| Lahore

Faisalabad

|16,228,526

|17,917

|791.26

|68.80%

| Faisalabad

Bahawalpur

|13,400,009

|45,588

|251.47

|52.13%

| Bahawalpur

Gujranwala

|11,416,686

|7,779

|937.11

|76.41%

| Gujranwala

Gujrat

|7,362,182

|9,438

|780.05

|75.30%

|Gujrat

Multan

|14,085,102

|17,935

|683.87

|59.43%

| Multan

Rawalpindi

|10,804,250

|18,823

|574.5

|79.90%

|Rawalpindi

Sargodha

|9,591,275

|26,360

|310.38

|63.19%

|Sargodha

Sahiwal

|8,533,471

|10,302

|520.57

|61.02%

| Sahiwal

Karachi

|20,382,881

|3,528

|4549.75

|75.11%

| Karachi

| rowspan="6" | Sindh

Mirpur Khas

|4,619,624

|28,171

|150.11

|40.41%

| Mirpur Khas

Hyderabad

|11,659,246

|64,963

|163.06

|45.38%

| Hyderabad

Larkana

|7,093,706

|15,543

|398.4

|44.53%

| Larkana

Shaheed Benazirabad

|5,930,649

|18,175

|290.63

|49.91%

| Shaheed Benazirabad

Sukkur

|6,010,041

|34,752

|159.37

|49.72%

|Sukkur

Makran

|1,875,872

|52,067

|28.6

|47.69%

| Turbat

| rowspan="8" | Balochistan

Nasirabad

|2,044,021

|16,946

|34.88

|32.59%

| Dera Murad Jamali

Quetta

|4,259,163

|64,310

|64.91

|51.68%

| Quetta

Kalat

|2,721,018

|91,767

|17.85

|38.72%

| Khuzdar

Sibi

|1,156,748

|27,055

|38.37

|34.70%

| Sibi

Rakhshan

|1,040,001

|98,596

|...

|36.84%

|Kharan

Zhob

|927,579

|27,128

|34.2

|32.33%

|Zhob

Loralai

|870,000

|17,260

|50.4

|39.89%

|Loralai

Mirpur

|...

|4,388

|...

|Mirpur

| rowspan="3" |AJK

Muzaffarabad

|...

|6,117

|...

|Muzaffarabad

Poonch

|...

|2,792

|...

|Rawalakot

Gilgit

|...

|Gilgit

| rowspan="3" |Gilgit-Baltistan

|...

|...

List of all divisions by population over the years

class="wikitable sortable static-row-numbers static-row-header-hash"

|+Data from 2023, 2017, 1998, 1981, 1972 censuses{{cite web |title=Info |url=http://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/other/pocket_book2006/2.pdf |website=www.pbs.gov.pk}}{{cite web |title=Pakistan Divisions |url=http://www.statoids.com/ypk.html |website=www.statoids.com}}

! Division

!Pop.

2023

! Pop.

2017

! Pop.

1998

! Pop.

1981

!Pop.

1972

!Pop.

1961

!Pop.

1951

! Province

Islamabad

|2,363,863

|2,006,572

|805,235

|340,286

|...

|Islamabad

Bahawalpur

|13,400,009

|11,464,031

|7,635,591

|4,068,636

|...

| rowspan="10" | Punjab

Lahore

|22,772,710

|19,398,081

|12,015,649

|7,183,097

|...

Dera Ghazi Khan

|12,892,465

|11,014,398

|6,503,590

|3,746,837

|...

Faisalabad

|16,228,526

|14,177,081

|9,885,685

|6,667,425

|...

Multan

|14,085,102

|12,265,161

|8,447,557

|5,408,561

|...

Rawalpindi

|10,804,250

|10,007,821

|6,659,528

|4,432,729

|...

Sargodha

|9,591,275

|8,181,499

|5,679,766

|3,930,628

|...

Sahiwal

|8,533,471

|5,362,866

|4,271,247

|...

Gujranwala

|11,416,686

|9,783,183

|6,101,052

|3,934,861

|3,218,873

|2,587,061

|1,835,178

Gujrat

|7,362,182

|6,337,678

|4,685,773

|3,264,764

|2,713,675

|1,872,505

|1,626,496

Mirpur Khas

|4,619,624

|4,228,683

|2,585,417

|1,501,882

|...

| rowspan="6" | Sindh

Hyderabad

|11,659,246

|10,592,635

|6,829,537

|4,678,290

|...

Karachi

|20,382,881

|16,051,521

|9,856,318

|5,437,984

|...

Larkana

|7,093,706

|6,192,380

|4,210,650

|2,746,201

|...

Shaheed Benazirabad

|5,930,649

|5,282,277

|3,510,036

|2,560,448

|...

Sukkur

|6,010,041

|5,538,555

|3,447,935

|2,103,861

|...

Dera Ismail Khan

|3,188,779

|2,019,017

|1,091,211

|635,494

|...

| rowspan="7" | KPK

Bannu

|3,092,078

|2,044,074

|1,165,692

|710,786

|...

Kohat

|3,752,436

|2,218,971

|1,307,969

|758,772

|...

Hazara

|6,188,736

|5,325,121

|3,505,581

|2,701,257

|...

Malakand

|9,959,399

|7,514,694

|4,262,700

|2,466,767

|...

Mardan

|4,639,498

|3,997,677

|2,486,904

|1,506,500

|...

Peshawar

|10,035,171

|7,403,817

|3,923,588

|2,281,752

|...

Kalat

|2,721,018

|2,509,230

|1,457,722

|1,044,174

|...

| rowspan="8" | Balochistan

Nasirabad

|2,044,021

|591,144

|1,076,708

|699,669

|...

Makran

|1,875,872

|1,489,015

|832,753

|652,602

|...

Quetta

|4,259,163

|4,174,562

|1,699,957

|880,618

|...

Sibi

|1,156,748

|1,038,010

|630,901

|305,768

|...

Zhob

|927,579

|806,238

|468,695

|361,647

|171,989

|...

Loralai

|870,000

|736,209

|487,748

|...

Rakhshan

|1,040,001

|737,162

|409,473

|...

Mirpur

|...

|1,651,018

|1,198,249

|...

| rowspan="3" |AJK

Muzaffarabad

|...

|1,072,150

|745,733

|...

Poonch

|...

|1,322,198

|1,028,541

|...

Gilgit

|...

| rowspan="3" |Gilgit-Baltistan

Baltistan

|...

Diamer

|...

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20060219122332/http://decentralization.org.pk/ Decentralisation Programme]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060213233441/http://www.nrb.gov.pk/ National Reconstruction Bureau]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20060227224229/http://www.dtce.org.pk/DTCE/index.htm Devolution Trust of Pakistan]

Category:Subdivisions of Pakistan

Pakistan

Division\|\|Area (km²)\|\|Population 1998 Census\|\|Population 2017 Census !Population 2023 Census\|\|Capital
class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;" ! colspan="6" \| Divisions of Azad Jammu & Kashmir
Mirpur	align="right"\|4,388	align="right"\|1,198,249	align="right"\|1,651,018 \|N/A	Mirpur
Muzaffarabad	align="right"\|6,117	align="right"\|745,733	align="right"\|1,072,150 \|N/A	Muzaffarabad
Poonch	align="right"\|2,792	align="right"\|1,028,541	align="right"\|1,322,198 \|N/A	Rawalakot
colspan="6" \| Divisions of Gilgit-Baltistan
Division\|\|Area (km²)\|\|Population 1998 Census\|\|Population 2017 Census !Population 2023 Census\|\|Capital
Gilgit\|
\| N/A	N/A \|N/A	Gilgit
Baltistan\|
\| N/A	N/A \|N/A	Skardu
Diamer\|
\| N/A	N/A \|N/A	Chilas

Divisions of Pakistan#Administered territories

History

Abolition

Restoration

Current divisions by administrative units

= Provinces =

== Balochistan ==

== Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ==

== Punjab ==

== Sindh ==

= Administered territories =

List of all divisions by population, area, density, literacy rate etc.

List of all divisions by population over the years

See also

References

External links