View source for Former administrative units of Pakistan

{{Use Pakistani English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox former subdivision
| common_name = Former administrative units of Pakistan
| conventional_long_name = Former administrative units of Pakistan<br><small>{{nq|پاکستان کی سابقہ انتظامی اکائیاں}}</small><br><small>{{lang|bn|পাকিস্তানের প্রাক্তন প্রশাসনিক বিভাগসমূহ}}</small>
| native_name = 
| subdivision = Subdivision
| nation = [[Pakistan]]
| image_map = Historical Pakistan.gif
| image_map_caption = Map of Pakistan with Former administrative units of Pakistan highlighted
| capital = [[Karachi]]<br/>[[Islamabad]]
| stat_year1 = 
| stat_area1 = 947940
| year_start = 14 August 1947
| year_end = 1975
| footnotes = 
}}{{Former administrative units of Pakistan}}
The '''former administrative units of Pakistan''' are states, provinces, and territories which mainly existed between 1947 and 1975 when the current [[Administrative units of Pakistan|provinces and territories]] were established. The former units have no administrative function today, but some remain as historical and cultural legacies. In some cases, the current provinces and territories correspond to the former units – for example the province of [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] includes almost all the territory of the former province of [[West Punjab]].

==At independence==
===(i) Provinces of Pakistan===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Name
! Capital
! class="unsortable" | Emblem
! class="unsortable" | Flag
! class="unsortable" | Map
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[East Bengal]]<br>{{nastaliq|مشرقی بنگال}}<br>পূর্ব বাংলা
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Dacca]]<br>{{nastaliq|ڈھاکہ}}<br>ঢাকা
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Emblem of East Bengal (1947-1955).svg|60px]]
| style="text-align:center;" | ''None''
| [[File:East Bengal Map.png|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[West Punjab]]<br>{{nastaliq|مغربی پنجاب}}<br>পশ্চিম পাঞ্জাব
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Lahore]]<br>{{nastaliq|لاہور}}<br>লাহোর
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Coat of arms of Punjab.svg|60px]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of Punjab.svg|50px]]
| [[File:West Punjab map.gif|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Sind Province (1936–1955)|Sind]]<br>{{nastaliq|سندھ}}<br>সিন্ধু
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Hyderabad, Sindh|Hyderabad]]<br>{{Nastaliq|حیدر آباد}}<br>হায়দ্রাবাদ
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Coat of arms of Sindh Province.svg|60px]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of Sindh.svg|50px]]
| [[File:Sind (1936-1955) map.gif|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[North-West Frontier Province|North-West Frontier]]<br>{{nastaliq|شمال مغربی سرحدی}}<br>উত্তর-পশ্চিম সীমান্ত 
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Peshawar]]<br>{{nastaliq|پشاور}}<br>পেশাওয়ার
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Coat of arms of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.svg|60px]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.svg|50px]]
| [[File:NWFP (1901-1955) map.gif|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Baluchistan (Chief Commissioner's Province)|Baluchistan]]<br>{{nastaliq|بلوچستان}}<br>বেলুচিস্তান
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Quetta]]<br>{{nastaliq|کوئٹہ}}<br>কোয়েটা
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Coat of arms of Balochistan.svg|60px]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of Balochistan.svg|50px]]
| [[File:Baluchistan CCP map.png|60px]]
|}

===(ii) Federal Capital Territory of Pakistan===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Name
! Capital
! class="unsortable" | Emblem
! class="unsortable" | Flag
! class="unsortable" | Map
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Federal Capital Territory (Pakistan)|Federal Capital Territory]]<br>{{nastaliq|وفاقی دارالحکومت}}<br>বেফাকী রাজধানী এলাকা
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Karachi]]<br>{{nastaliq|کراچی}}<br>করাচী
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:State emblem of Pakistan.svg|60px|Emblem of Federal Capital Territory]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of Pakistan.svg|75px|Flag of Federal Capital Territory]]
| [[File:FCT Pakistan map.gif|60px|Federal Capital Territory]]
|}

===(iii) Princely States of Pakistan===
{{Main|Princely states of Pakistan}}
Between August 1947 and March 1948, the rulers of the following [[princely states]] (which had existed alongside but outside [[British India]]) [[Instrument of Accession|acceded]] their states to Pakistan, giving up control of their external affairs, while all retaining internal self-government, at least to begin with. This was lost by stages, until by 1974 all of the states had been fully integrated into Pakistan.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Name
! Capital
! class="unsortable" | Coat of arms
! class="unsortable" | Flag
! class="unsortable" | Map
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Bahawalpur (princely state)|Bahawalpur]]<br>{{nastaliq|بہاولپور}}<br>বাহাওয়ালপুর
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Bahawalpur]]<br>{{nastaliq|بہاولپور}}<br>বাহাওয়ালপুর
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Coat of arms of State of Bahawalpur.svg|60px]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of State of Bahawalpur.svg|50px]]
| [[File:Bahawalpur map.png|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Khairpur (princely state)|Khairpur]]<br>{{nastaliq|خیرپور}}<br>খয়েরপুর
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Khairpur]]<br>{{nastaliq|خیرپور}}<br>খয়েরপুর
| style="text-align:center;" | ''None''
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Khairpurflag.png|50px]]
| [[File:Khairpur map.gif|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Khanate of Kalat|Kalat]]<br>{{nastaliq|قلات}}<br>কালাত
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Kalat, Balochistan|Kalat]]<br>{{nastaliq|قلات}}<br>কালাত
| style="text-align:center;" | ''None''
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:FlagofKalat.svg|50px]]
| [[File:Kalat Pakistan.jpg|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Las Bela (princely state)|Las Bela]]<br>{{nastaliq|لاس بیلا۔}}<br>লাস বেলা
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Bela, Pakistan|Bela]]<br>{{nastaliq|بݔلہ}}<br>বেলা
| style="text-align:center;" | ''None''
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of the State of Las Bela.svg|50px]]
| [[File:Las Bela Map.gif|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Kharan (princely state)|Kharan]]<br>{{nastaliq|خاران}}<br>খারান
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Kharan, Pakistan|Kharan]]<br>{{nastaliq|خاران}}<br>খারান
| style="text-align:center;" | ''None''
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of the State of Kharan.svg|50px]]
| [[File:Kharan Map.gif|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Makran (princely state)|Makran]]<br>{{nastaliq|مکران}}<br>মাকরন
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Turbat|Kech]]<br>{{nastaliq|کیچ}}<br>কেচ
| style="text-align:center;" | ''None''
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of Makran (Princely State).svg|50px]]
| [[File:Makran Map.gif|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Phulra]]<br>{{nastaliq|پھلرا}}<br>ফুলরা
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Amb, Pakistan|Amb]]<br>{{nastaliq|امب}}<br>আমবা
| style="text-align:center;" | ''None''
| style="text-align:center;" | ''None''
| [[File:Phulra map.gif|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Amb (princely state)|Amb]]<br>{{nastaliq|امب}}<br>আমবা
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Shergarh, Mansehra|Shergard]]<br>{{nastaliq|شیر گڑھ}}<br>শেরগড়
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Amb state 123.JPG|60px]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of the State of Amb.svg|50px]]
| [[File:Amb map.png|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Swat (princely state)|Swat]]<br>{{nastaliq|سوات}}<br>সোয়াত
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Saidu Sharif]]<br>{{nastaliq|سیدو شریف}}<br>সাইদু শরীফ
| style="text-align:center;" | ''None''
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of Swat.svg|50px]]
| [[File:Swat map.gif|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Dir (princely state)|Dir]]<br>{{nastaliq|دیر}}<br>দির
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Dir (city)|Dir]]<br>{{nastaliq|دیر}}<br>দির
| style="text-align:center;" | ''None''
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of the State of Dir 2.svg|50px]]
| [[File:Dir map.png|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Chitral (princely state)|Chitral]]<br>{{nastaliq|چترال}}<br>চিত্রল
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Buni]]<br>{{nastaliq|بنی}}<br>বুনি
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Coat of arms of State of Chitral.svg|60px]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of State of Chitral.svg|50px]]
| [[File:Chitral map.png|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Hunza (princely state)|Hunza]]<br>{{nastaliq|ہنزہ}}<br>হুনজা
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Karimabad, Gilgit-Baltistan|Baltit]]<br>{{nastaliq|بلتیت}}<br>বাল্টিট
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Coat of arms of Hunza.svg|60px]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Flag of Hunza.svg|50px]]
| [[File:Locator map of GBA-6 (Hunza).png|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Nagar (princely state)|Nagar]]<br>{{nastaliq|نگر}}<br>নগর
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Nagarkhas]]<br>{{nastaliq|نگرخاس}}<br>নগরখাস
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Nagar state logo.png|60px]]
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Nagar State Flag.png|50px]]
| [[File:Nagar Map.gif|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Gilgit Agency|Gilgit]]<br>{{nastaliq|گلگت ایجنسی}}<br>গিলগিট রাষ্ট্রসংস্থা
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Gilgit]]<br>{{nastaliq|گلگت}}<br>গিলগিট
| style="text-align:center;" | ''None''
| style="text-align:center;" | ''None''
| [[File:Gilgit Agency map.gif|60px]]
|}

==After independence==
The origins of most of the former administrative units lay in the set-up inherited from [[British India]]. From 1947 to 1971, newly independent Pakistan comprised two "wings" – 1600 kilometres apart and separated by [[India]]. The eastern wing comprised the single province of [[East Bengal]], which included the [[Sylhet Division|Sylhet District]] from the former [[Provinces of India|British Indian province]] of [[Assam]] as well as the Buddhist-majority [[Chittagong Hill Tracts]] awarded by the [[Radcliffe Commission]]. The politically dominant western wing united three Governor's provinces ([[North-West Frontier Province (historical)|North-West Frontier Province]] (NWFP), [[West Punjab]] and [[Sind Province (1936–1955)|Sind]]), and one Chief Commissioner's Province ([[Baluchistan (Chief Commissioner's Province)|Baluchistan]]), also included were thirteen [[princely states]] and parts of [[Kashmir]].

In 1948, the area around [[Karachi]] was separated from Sind province to form the [[Federal Capital Territory (Pakistan)|Federal Capital Territory]]. In 1950 the [[North-West Frontier Province (historical)|North-West Frontier Province]] was expanded to include the small states of [[Amb (princely state)|Amb]] and [[State of Phulra|Phulra]] and the name of West Punjab province was changed to Punjab. The [[Baluchistan States Union]] was formed in 1952 by the four princely states of southwest Pakistan. Thus, between 1947 and 1955, Pakistan comprised five provinces and one territory.

The western wing eventually included thirteen [[princely states]], one union of states, Gwadar enclave, Gilgit agency and parts of Kashmir:

* [[Gilgit Agency]] (former agency of Kashmir – after independence on 1 November 1947, using flag of [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]])
* [[Azad Kashmir, Pakistan|Azad Jammu and Kashmir]] (after Kashmir War 1947~48 - using newly AJK Flag )
* [[Baluchistan States Union]] (combining Kalat, Kharan, Las Bela and Makran in 1953 – using flag of Kalat)
* [[Gwadar|Gwadar Enclave]] (purchased from Sultanate of Oman in 1958)

==One Unit of Pakistan 1955==
[[File:Historical Pakistan.gif|thumb|Map of one unit of Pakistan in 1955]]

Simmering tensions between the eastern and western wings of Pakistan led to the [[One Unit]] policy announced by Prime Minister [[Muhammad Ali Bogra]]. The states and provinces of the western wing merged in 1955 to become divisions of the new province of [[West Pakistan]] with the provincial capital at [[Lahore]]. At the same time, East Bengal became the new province of East Pakistan with the provincial capital at Dacca. West Pakistan annexed the former Omani enclave of [[Gwadar]] (on the Balochistan coast) in 1958 as part of Kalat division. In 1960 the federal government moved from Karachi to [[Rawalpindi]] (the provisional capital pending the completion of Islamabad), whilst the federal legislature moved to Dacca. The Federal Capital Territory was merged with West Pakistan in 1961 to form the new division of Karachi. In 1963 the [[Trans-Karakoram Tract]] was transferred by treaty from Gilgit Agency to China under the provision that the settlement was subject to the final solution of the [[Kashmir dispute]]. Thus from 1955 to 1970, Pakistan comprised two provinces:
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Name
! Capital
! class="unsortable" | Emblem
! class="unsortable" | Map
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[East Pakistan]]<br>{{nastaliq|مشرقی پاکستان}}<br>পূর্ব পাকিস্তান
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Dacca]]<br>{{nastaliq|ڈھاکہ}}<br>ঢাকা
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Emblem of East Pakistan (1970–1971).svg|60px]]
| [[File:East Bengal Map.png|60px]]
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | [[West Pakistan]]<br>{{nastaliq|مغربى پاکستان}}<br>পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান
| style="text-align:left;" | [[Lahore]]<br>{{nastaliq|لاہور}}<br>লাহোর
| style="text-align:center;" | [[File:Emblem of West Pakistan (green version).svg|60px]]
| [[File:West Pakistan Map.gif|60px]]
|}

==New provinces of Pakistan 1970==
{{Main|Legal Framework Order, 1970}}
[[File:Pakistan New Provinces.gif|thumb|Map of new provinces of Pakistan in 1970]]

The One Unit policy was regarded as a rational administrative reform to reduce expenditure and eliminate provincial prejudices. However the military coup of 1958 signalled troubled times for the two-province system as the office of Chief Minister of West Pakistan was abolished by President [[Ayub Khan (Field Marshal)|Ayub Khan]] to be replaced by Governor's rule. Eventually, in 1970, the province of West Pakistan was dissolved by President [[Yahya Khan]] and four new provinces were created along with some changes in Pakistani Kashmir. These provinces combined most of the former provinces and states as follows:

{|class="wikitable"
|-
!New Province||Constituent former administrative units
|-
|[[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Baluchistan Province]]||
*Baluchistan Chief Commissioner's Province
*Baluchistan States Union (Las Bela, Makran, Kharan & Kalat)
*Enclave of Gwadar
|-
|[[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa|North-West Frontier Province]]||
*Former North-West Frontier Province
*State of Phulra
*State of Amb
*State of Swat
*State of Dir
*State of Chitral
|-
|[[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab Province]]||
*Former West Punjab Province
*State of Bahawalpur
|-
|[[Sindh|Sind Province]]||
*Former Sind Province
*State of Khairpur
*Former Federal Capital Territory
|-
|[[Islamabad Capital Territory|Federally Administered Area]]||
*906&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of former West Punjab Province
|-
|[[Northern Areas, Pakistan|Northern Areas]]||
*Gilgit Agency
|-
|[[Azad Kashmir, Pakistan|Azad Kashmir]]||
*Azad Kashmir
|}

==Changes after 1970==
The province of East Pakistan became independent on 16 December 1971, as the new country of [[Bangladesh]]. The states of [[Hunza (princely state)|Hunza]] and [[Nagar (princely state)|Nagar]] were abolished and their territories merged into the Northern Areas in 1974. The [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas]] were formed from parts of the North West Frontier Province districts of [[Peshawar]] and [[Dera Ismail Khan]] in 1975.{{fact|date=November 2024}}

The status of the Islamabad area was changed to a capital territory in 1981. The names of two provinces were slightly modified in 1990 – Baluchistan became Balochistan and Sind became Sindh. In 2009, the Northern Areas changed its name to [[Gilgit–Baltistan]]. In 2010, the North West Frontier Province changed its name to [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]. 8 Years later in May 2018, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas merged with [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]].{{fact|date=November 2024}}

==See also==
*[[Junagadh State]] - Acceded to Pakistan
*[[Hyderabad State]] - Supported by Pakistan
*[[Administrative units of Pakistan]]
*[[Politics of Pakistan]] 
*[[Divisions of Pakistan]] 
*[[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] ([[Princely state|Princely State]])

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060127012942/http://www.pakistan.gov.pk/ Government of Pakistan]

[[Category:Former subdivisions of Pakistan|*]]
[[Category:Political history of Pakistan]]