Administrative Divisions
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Pakistan is a federation of four provinces: Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan, as well as the Islamabad Capital Territory and the Federally Administrated Tribal Area in the northwest, which include the Frontal Regions. The government of Pakistan exercises de facto jurisdiction over the western parts of the disputed Kashmir region, organised into the separate political entities Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (formerly Northern Areas). The Gilgit–Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order of 2009 assigned a province-like status to the latter, giving it self-government.
Local government follows a three-tier system of districts, tehsils and union councils , with an elected body at each tier.There are about 130 districts altogether, of which Azad Kashmir has ten and Gilgit–Baltistan seven. The Tribal Areas comprise seven tribal agencies and six small frontier regions detached from neighbouring districts.
Local government follows a three-tier system of districts, tehsils and union councils , with an elected body at each tier.There are about 130 districts altogether, of which Azad Kashmir has ten and Gilgit–Baltistan seven. The Tribal Areas comprise seven tribal agencies and six small frontier regions detached from neighbouring districts.
Balochistan
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Balochistan (Urdu, Balochi: بلوچِستان), is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. It is the largest province by area, constituting approximately 44% of Pakistan's total land mass, and the smallest in terms of population. Balochistan is bordered by Afghanistan to the north and north-west, Iran to the south-west, the Arabian Sea to the south,Punjab and Sindh to the east, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north-east. Quetta is the capital and largest city of Balochistan.
The main ethnic groups in the province are Baloch, Pashtuns and Brahuis, and there are relatively smaller communities of Iranians, Hazarajats, Kurds, Sindhis and other settlers, including Punjabis, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Sikhs and Hindus. The name Balochistan means the "land of the Baloch" in many regional languages.
The main ethnic groups in the province are Baloch, Pashtuns and Brahuis, and there are relatively smaller communities of Iranians, Hazarajats, Kurds, Sindhis and other settlers, including Punjabis, Uzbeks, Turkmens, Sikhs and Hindus. The name Balochistan means the "land of the Baloch" in many regional languages.
Sindh
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Sindh , (Urdu: سِندھ); is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran" and has been given the title of Bab-ul-Islam (The gateway of Islam). The name of Sindh is derived from the Indus River that separates it from Balochistan and the greater Iranian Plateau. This river was known to the ancient Iranians in Avestan as Indus, in Sanskrit as Sindhu, to Assyrians (as early as the seventh century BC) as Sinda, to the Greeks as Indos, to the Romans as Indus, to the Persians as Ab-e-sind, to the Pashtuns as "Abasind", to the Arabs as Al-Sind, to the Chinese asSintow, and to the Javanese as the Santri.
Sindh is bounded to the west by the Indus River and Balochistan, to the north by Punjab, the east by the Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan and to the south by the Arabian Sea. The capital of the province is Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and financial hub. Most of the population in the province is Muslim, with sizeable Christian, Zoroastrian and Hindu minorities. The main language spoken is Sindhi by about 26 million people, while there exists a significant Urdu-speaking minority 90 million.
Sindh is bounded to the west by the Indus River and Balochistan, to the north by Punjab, the east by the Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan and to the south by the Arabian Sea. The capital of the province is Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and financial hub. Most of the population in the province is Muslim, with sizeable Christian, Zoroastrian and Hindu minorities. The main language spoken is Sindhi by about 26 million people, while there exists a significant Urdu-speaking minority 90 million.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ;Urdu: خیبر پختونخوا), locally called Pakhtunkhwa (literally "area of Pashtuns") and formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country. It borders the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to the west and south, Gilgit–Baltistan to the north-east, Azad Kashmir to the east and Punjab and theIslamabad Capital Territory to the south-east. The province of Balochistan is located southwards while Afghanistan borders Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the north-west. The main ethnic group in the province are the Pashtun people; other smaller ethnic groups include most notably the Hindkowans, Dards, Chitralis (who include the Kalasha) and Gujjars.
The provincial language is Pashto, spoken by the majority as first language; Urdu, the national language, is widely spoken as a second language. English, the official language of Pakistan, is mainly used for official and literary purposes. The provincial capital and largest city is Peshawar.
The provincial language is Pashto, spoken by the majority as first language; Urdu, the national language, is widely spoken as a second language. English, the official language of Pakistan, is mainly used for official and literary purposes. The provincial capital and largest city is Peshawar.
Punjab
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Punjab (Urdu: پنجاب), (Shahmukhī Punjabi: پنجاب) , panj-āb, "five waters": Punjab.ogg (help·info)), also spelled Panjab, is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 55.06% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir (Azad Kashmir, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir, India) to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the south, the province of Balochistan to the southwest, the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the west, and the Islamabad Capital Territory to the north. The Punjab is home to the Punjabis and various other groups. The main languages are Punjabi and Saraikiand the dialects of Mewati and Potowari. The name Punjab derives from the Persian wordsPanj (پنج) (Five), and Āb (آب) (Water), i.e. (the) Five Waters - referring to five tributaries of the Indus River which flow through the Punjab region: these being Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej.
Punjab is the most developed, most populous, and most prosperous province of Pakistan. Lahore has traditionally been the capital of Punjab for a thousand years; it is Punjab's main cultural, historical, administrative and economic center
Punjab is the most developed, most populous, and most prosperous province of Pakistan. Lahore has traditionally been the capital of Punjab for a thousand years; it is Punjab's main cultural, historical, administrative and economic center