Pakistan's Administrative Divisions: Provinces and Territories, Not States

Pakistan Has No States—It Has Provinces and Territories

Pakistan is a federal parliamentary republic divided into four provinces and four federal territories (plus the disputed Kashmir regions it administers).

Four Provinces (Elected Governments)

1. Punjab – Capital: Lahore; most populous (~120M), economic core.
2. Sindh – Capital: Karachi; financial hub, Indus delta.
3. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) – Capital: Peshawar; Pashtun-majority, mountainous.
4. Balochistan – Capital: Quetta; largest by area, resource-rich, sparsely populated.

Four Federal Territories (Direct Federal Administration)

1. Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) – Federal capital.
2. Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) – De facto province; high mountains, K2, tourism.
3. Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) – Self-governing; claims all former princely state.
4. Former FATA – Merged into KP in 2018 (25th Amendment).

Note on Kashmir

Pakistan administers AJK and GB as distinct entities but considers them part of the disputed Jammu & Kashmir territory awaiting UN plebiscite. They are not provinces.

So: 0 states, 4 provinces, 4 territories (plus merged ex-FATA). Each province has a Governor (federal appointee), Chief Minister (elected), and Provincial Assembly.