Original Pakistan Map: 1947 Borders vs Pakistan Today
Put the original 1947 map of Pakistan beside today’s, and the differences jump out: a missing eastern wing, different provincial boundaries, and princely states that no longer exist. Here is a side-by-side comparison of the original Pakistan map and the country as it stands in 2026.
Quick answer: The original 1947 Pakistan had two wings (West and East); today’s Pakistan is the former West Pakistan only — four provinces (Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan) plus Islamabad, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. East Pakistan became Bangladesh in 1971.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | 1947 map | Today |
|---|---|---|
| Wings | West + East Pakistan | Single territory |
| East wing | East Pakistan | Bangladesh (since 1971) |
| West wing units | Provinces + princely states (Bahawalpur, Khairpur, Kalat…) | 4 provinces + ICT + AJK + GB |
| Capital | Karachi | Islamabad (since 1960s) |
| NWFP name | North-West Frontier Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (renamed 2010) |
What Vanished from the Map
East Pakistan (1971), the princely states absorbed into provinces (Bahawalpur into Punjab 1955, Khairpur into Sindh, Kalat and others into Balochistan), the One Unit scheme (1955–1970) that temporarily erased provincial borders in the west, and the old NWFP name. The 1947 hub covers how each change happened.
What Stayed the Same
The Radcliffe Line itself — the 1947 Punjab and Sindh borders with India remain the international boundary (and the Line of Control in Kashmir). The four-province structure restored in 1970 endures, and Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta remain the great cities of the original map.
FAQs
Was Bangladesh part of Pakistan?
Yes — as East Pakistan from 1947 until independence on 16 December 1971.
What were the original four provinces?
Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan — alongside princely states and tribal areas, later consolidated.
When did Islamabad become the capital?
Construction began in the 1960s under Ayub Khan; it replaced Karachi as the federal capital.
