Provinces are only part of the picture. Pakistan’s full regional map includes territories, the federal capital and historic regions — each with its own status and story. This is the complete regions guide.
Quick answer: Pakistan’s regions: 4 provinces (Punjab, Sindh, KP, Balochistan), the Islamabad Capital Territory, Gilgit-Baltistan (Karakoram north), and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (self-governing) — plus historic regions like the Saraiki belt, Hazara and Makran within provinces.
In this guide
The Provinces
The four constitutional provinces — Punjab (Lahore), Sindh (Karachi), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Peshawar), Balochistan (Quetta) — each with an elected assembly, CM and governor. The full guide: provinces of Pakistan.
The Territories
- Islamabad Capital Territory — the federal capital, run by the federal government
- Gilgit-Baltistan — the Karakoram north (Hunza, Skardu, K2); elected assembly and CM; status tied to Kashmir dispute
- Azad Jammu & Kashmir — self-governing; own president, PM and assembly in Muzaffarabad
Historic Regions Within Provinces
Provinces contain older identities: the Saraiki belt (south Punjab), Hazara (eastern KP), Makran (Balochistan’s coast), Tharparkar (southeast Sindh), the Potohar plateau (north Punjab). These regions drive sub-provincial politics — the South Punjab province demand, the Hazara province movement — and explain why ‘province’ never quite captures how Pakistanis describe home.
The Disputed Statuses: GB and AJK
Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir are the Kashmir dispute made administrative: Pakistan administers them but hasn’t made them provinces, because doing so could prejudice its position that Kashmir’s final status awaits a UN-promised plebiscite. AJK has the trappings of a state (president, PM, assembly, even its own flag); GB has province-like institutions without the name. India, meanwhile, reorganised its side into union territories (2019). The map’s most delicate corner — handle with care.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many regions does Pakistan have?
4 provinces + 3 territories (Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir) = 7 administrative regions, plus historic sub-regions like Saraiki belt and Hazara.
What is Gilgit-Baltistan?
Pakistan’s northernmost territory — the Karakoram region of Hunza, Skardu and K2 — with its own elected assembly and chief minister, its final constitutional status tied to the Kashmir dispute.
