Provinces That Voted to Join Pakistan in 1947

During the partition of British India (1947), the following provinces and regions voted—through their legislative assemblies or referendums—to join the new Dominion of Pakistan:

Provinces with Legislative Assembly Votes

1. Bengal – Legislative assembly voted for partition; East Bengal became East Pakistan (now Bangladesh since 1971)
2. Punjab – Assembly voted for partition; West Punjab joined Pakistan
3. Sindh – Assembly voted unanimously to join Pakistan
4. North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) – Assembly voted to join; now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Referendum Region

5. Sylhet District (Assam Province) – Referendum (July 1947) voted to join East Pakistan; now part of Bangladesh (Sylhet Division)

Princely States (Accession, Not Popular Vote)

Several princely states acceded to Pakistan through their rulers' decisions, not popular votes:

• Bahawalpur, Khairpur, Kalat, Kharan, Makran, Las Bela, Dir, Swat, Chitral, Amb, Hunza, Nagar
• Junagadh (ruler acceded to Pakistan; India contested; integrated into India)
• Hyderabad (ruler sought independence; annexed by India)
• Jammu & Kashmir (ruler acceded to India; Pakistan contested; dispute ongoing)

Key Distinction

The five entities above (4 provinces + 1 district) exercised formal democratic mechanisms (assembly votes or referendum) under the Indian Independence Act 1947 and Mountbatten Plan. Princely states followed different accession processes.

East Pakistan's 1971 secession as Bangladesh altered the original map, but the 1947 votes established Pakistan's initial territorial basis.