4.2 Location of Administrative Areas and Cities

2026 Syllabus Objectives

By the end of this subtopic, you should be able to:

  1. Identify on a map the administrative areas (provinces and territories) of Pakistan.
  2. Identify on a map the following named cities: Islamabad, Murree, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Sialkot, Peshawar, Chitral, Gilgit, Hyderabad, Karachi, Quetta, and Gwadar.

Part 1: Administrative Areas of Pakistan

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What is an Administrative Area?

An administrative area is a region of a country that has its own government or management system. Think of it like dividing a country into smaller zones so it is easier to govern and run.

Pakistan is divided into the following administrative areas:

The Provinces of Pakistan

Pakistan has four provinces. A province is the largest type of administrative division in Pakistan — similar to a state in other countries.

1. Punjab

  • Located in the north-east of Pakistan.
  • The largest province by population — more people live here than anywhere else in Pakistan.
  • It is a fertile region dominated by the Indus River plains.
  • Major cities include Lahore (the provincial capital), Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Rawalpindi, and Sialkot.

2. Sindh

  • Located in the south-east of Pakistan, along the lower Indus River.
  • Borders India to the east and the Arabian Sea to the south.
  • Major cities include Karachi (the provincial capital) and Hyderabad.

3. Balochistan

  • Located in the south-west of Pakistan.
  • The largest province by area — it covers more land than any other province, but has a small population because much of it is desert and dry plateau.
  • Borders Iran to the west and Afghanistan to the north-west.
  • Major cities include Quetta (the provincial capital) and Gwadar.

4. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)

  • Located in the north-west of Pakistan.
  • A mountainous region that borders Afghanistan.
  • Major cities include Peshawar (the provincial capital) and Chitral.

Special Territories and Regions

As well as the four provinces, Pakistan has additional administrative areas:

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT)

  • This is the area around Islamabad, the capital city of Pakistan.
  • It is a separate territory — not part of any province — because the capital city needs its own special administration.

Gilgit-Baltistan (GB)

  • Located in the far north of Pakistan, in the mountainous region near the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush mountain ranges.
  • It has a special administrative status. It is not officially a province but is governed separately.
  • The main city is Gilgit.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)

  • Located in the north-east, near the Line of Control (the disputed boundary with India).
  • It is a self-governing territory with a special status.

Exam Tip: You need to be able to identify all of these areas on a map. Pay special attention to which provinces border each other and which border other countries.

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