Pakistan officially has four provinces — so why does ‘five provinces of Pakistan’ get searched so often? Because three different ‘fifth province’ claims circulate. This guide examines each one honestly.
Quick answer: There is no fifth province — Pakistan has four. The ‘fifth’ claims: Gilgit-Baltistan (functions like a province; provisional-province status debated), South Punjab (political demand), and Karachi-as-province (MQM’s historic demand). None is constitutionally a province.
In this guide
Claim 1: Gilgit-Baltistan
The strongest claim: GB has an elected assembly, chief minister and governor — it walks and talks like a province. Granting it provisional provincial status has been debated for years, but it’s tangled in the Kashmir dispute — Pakistan’s position is that GB’s final status awaits the Kashmir settlement. So GB remains a territory with province-like institutions: the closest thing to a fifth province, but not one.
Claim 2: South Punjab
The Saraiki belt (Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan) has long demanded a separate province — Bahawalpur was itself a princely state before 1955. The PTI government (2018–22) promised a South Punjab province and even created a separate administrative secretariat; a constitutional amendment needs a two-thirds majority, which never materialised. The demand simmers on.
Claim 3: Karachi
The MQM has historically demanded a separate Karachi/Hyderabad province (sometimes ‘Mohajir province’), arguing Sindh’s government neglects urban Sindh. The PPP, which rules Sindh, fiercely opposes it — and redrawing Sindh is politically explosive. Of the three claims, this is the least likely to happen.
The Constitutional Bar for New Provinces
New provinces need Article 239: a constitutional amendment passed by two-thirds of the National Assembly and Senate, plus the consent of the provincial assembly concerned (for boundary changes). That’s an extraordinarily high bar in Pakistan’s fractured politics — which is why South Punjab, despite having a separate administrative secretariat since 2020, remains a demand rather than a province. Administrative convenience is easy; constitutional change is hard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gilgit-Baltistan a province?
Not constitutionally — it’s a territory with provincial-style institutions (assembly, CM, governor). Provisional provincial status has been debated but not granted.
Will South Punjab become a province?
Not soon — it needs a two-thirds constitutional amendment. The demand is politically alive but legislatively stalled.
