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Districts of Pakistan
Category	Third-level administrative division
Location	Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Number	166 (as of 2024)
Populations	Greatest: Lahore, Punjab — 11,126,285 (2017) Least: Awaran, Balochistan — 121,660 (2017)
Areas	Largest: Chagai, Balochistan — 44,748 km (17,277 sq mi) Smallest: Nazimabad (Karachi Central), Sindh — 69 km (27 sq mi)
Government	District government
Subdivisions	Tehsils Union councils

Politics of Pakistan
Federalism Federal government Provincial governments: Punjab Sindh KPK Balochistan Governors: Sardar Saleem Haider Kamran Tessori Faisal Karim Kundi Sheikh Jaffar Khan Syed Mehdi Shah Chief Ministers: Maryam Nawaz Murad Ali Shah Ali Amin Gandapur Sarfraz Bugti Gulbar Khan Provincial assemblies of Pakistan: Punjab Sindh KPK Balochistan Gilgi-Baltistan Azad Kashmir government President: Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry Prime Minister: Chaudhry Anwarul Haq Legislative Assembly Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Local government Divisions Districts Tehsil UCs
Parliament legislature Senate (Upper House) Chairman: Yousaf Raza Gillani Deputy Chairman: Syedaal Khan Nasar (PML(N)) Leader of the House: Ishaq Dar (PML(N)) Opposition leader: Shibli Faraz (PTI) National Assembly (Lower House) Leader of the House: Shehbaz Sharif (PML(N)) Speaker: Ayaz Sadiq (PML(N)) Deputy speaker: Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah (PPP) Leader of the Opposition: Omar Ayub Khan Constitution of Pakistan Previous constitutions:1956 1962 1973 Annex (written 1949, incorporated 1985) Amendments Law Pakistan Penal Code Human rights
Executive President of Pakistan: Asif Ali Zardari (PPP) List of presidents of Pakistan Prime Minister of Pakistan: Shahbaz Sharif (PML-N) List of prime ministers of Pakistan Cabinet of Pakistan Cabinet Secretary
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Elections Election Commission of Pakistan Chief Election Commissioner: Sikandar Sultan Raja Electoral College Territorial election commission AJK Election Commission Chief Election Commissioner of AJK: Abdul Rashid Sulehria Gilgit-Baltistan Election Commission Chief Election Commissioner of Gilgit-Baltistan: Raja Shah Baz Khan Elections Presidential: 2008 2013 2018 2024 General: 1970 1977 1985 1988 1990 1993 1997 2002 2008 2013 2018 2024 Provincial elections Punjab: 2002 2008 2013 2018 2024 Sindh: 2002 2008 2013 2018 2024 KPK: 2002 2008 2013 2018 2024 Balochistan: 2013 2018 2024 Territorial elections Azad Kashmir: 1970 1975 1985 1990 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 Gilgit-Baltistan: 2009 2015 2020 Political parties Pakistan Muslim League (N) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Pakistan Peoples Party Complete list
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Pakistan portal
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The districts of Pakistan (Urdu: اِضلاعِ پاكِستان) are the third-level administrative divisions of Pakistan, below provinces and divisions, but forming the first-tier of local government. In total, there are 166 districts in Pakistan, including the Capital Territory, and the districts of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. These districts are further divided into tehsils and union councils.

History

In 1947, when Pakistan gained independence there were 124 districts. In 1969, 2 new districts (Tangail and Patuakhali) in East Pakistan were formed, bringing the total to 126. With the Independence of Bangladesh, Pakistan lost 20 of its districts and so there were 106 districts. In 2001, the number was reduced to 102 by the merger of the 5 districts of Karachi Central, Karachi East, Karachi South, Karachi West and Malir to form Karachi District. The number of districts rose to 106 again in December 2004, when four new districts were created in the province of Sindh of which one (Umerkot) had existed until 2000 and three districts (Kashmore, Qambar and Jamshoro) were newly created. The new districts were carved out of Mirpur Khas, Jacobabad, Larkana and Dadu Districts respectively. In May 2005, the Punjab provincial government created a new district by raising the status of Nankana Sahib from a tehsil of Sheikhupura District to a district in its own right. On 11 July 2011, the Sindh Government restored again the districts of Karachi South, Karachi East, Malir, Karachi West and Karachi Central, then later in 2013, the district of Korangi was carved out of Karachi East District. In Azad Jammu and Kashmir, a second-tier of government was formed from three administrative divisions into ten districts. In Gilgit–Baltistan, there are ten districts divided between the two regions of Gilgit and Baltistan. In 2018, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and FATA agencies were converted into districts.

Chagai is the largest district of Pakistan by area while Lahore District is the largest by population with a total population of 11,126,285 at the 2017 census. Quetta is the largest district of Balochistan by population with a total population of 2,275,699 at the 2017 census. Bahawalpur is the largest district of Punjab by area. Chitral is the largest by area and Peshawar is the largest by population from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with the population of 4,269,079 at the Census 2017. Sindh's largest district by area is Tharparkar and by population its Karachi West with a population of 3,914,757 at the 2017 Census. The combined population of the six districts of Karachi division is over 16 million at the 2017 census, giving an average population for these six districts of Karachi division of over 2.675 million each. Neelum and Kotli are the largest districts of Azad Kashmir by area and population respectively. Gilgit is the largest by area and population both for Gilgit-Baltistan.

Administration

Deputy commissioner

A deputy commissioner (popularly abbreviated to "DC") is the executive head of the district. Deputy commissioners are appointed by the government from the Pakistan Administrative Service.

District council

A district council (or zila council) is a local government body at the district level.

The functions of a district council include construction and maintenance of roads, and bridges, building hospitals and dispensaries, schools and educational institutions, health facilities and sanitation, tube wells for drinking water, rest houses, and coordination of activities of the Union councils within the district.

Provinces and territories

List of districts by province and territory

Azad Jammu and Kashmir

Gilgit-Baltistan

Balochistan

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Punjab

Sindh

N.B. All the figures require to be re-checked. Data entry error has occurred in Sindh Province.

List of all districts by population over the years

List of all districts by area, population, density, literacy rate etc

See also

• Administrative units of Pakistan
• City Districts of Pakistan
• List of administrative units of Pakistan by Human Development Index
• Pakistan District Education Rankings
• Divisions of Pakistan
• List of tehsils of Pakistan
• List of cities in Pakistan by population
• Union councils of Pakistan

Notes

1. No data is available on the recently created districts of Sindh Province.
2. No data is available on the recently created district of Nankana, which was part of Sheikhupura District.

References

1. ^ "District Wise Census Results – Census 2017" (PDF). www.pbscensus.gov.pk. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 August 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
2. "Dividing governance: Three new districts notified in G-B – The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
3. "Administrative Setup". ajk.gov.pk. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
4. "Four new districts in Sindh". Daily Times. 11 December 2004. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
5. ^ "Nankana becomes district". Dawn. Pakistan. 10 May 2005. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
6. ^ "Thatta (District, Pakistan) – Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". citypopulation.de.
7. "Province Wise Provisional Results of Census – 2017" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2017.
8. https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/national/table_1.pdf
9. ^ Babakhel, Mohammad Ali (23 October 2018). "New districts". Dawn. Pakistan. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
10. "New division, two districts created in Balochistan". Dawn. Pakistan. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
11. "Districts | Punjab Portal". Punjab.gov.pk. 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
12. "Map of Sindh". Government of Sindh. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
13. Azad Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 2019.
14. "Kharmang now GB district". Pakistan Observer. 24 March 2013. Archived from the original on 24 November 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
15. ^ https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/balochistan/dcr/table_1.pdf
16. ^ https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/kp/dcr/table_1.pdf
17. ^ https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/punjab/dcr/table_1.pdf
18. ^ https://www.pbs.gov.pk/sites/default/files/population/2023/tables/sindh/dcr/table_1.pdf
19. ^ "Historically & Geographically". District Government Umerkot. Archived from the original on 24 February 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
20. ^ Azad Government of Jammu & Kashmir, Muzaffarabad, 2019.
21. "AREA, POPULATION BY SEX, SEX RATIO, POPULATION DENSITY, URBAN PROPORTION, HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF BALOCHISTAN - 2017" (PDF).
22. "AREA, POPULATION BY SEX, SEX RATIO, POPULATION DENSITY, URBAN PROPORTION, HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND ANNUAL GROWTH RATE OF SINDH - 2017" (PDF).
23. ^ "POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD DETAIL FROM BLOCK TO DISTRICT LEVEL KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA (KOHISTAN DISTRICT)" (PDF). KOHISTAN_BLOCKWISE.pdf. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 3 January 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
24. "POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD DETAIL FROM BLOCK TO DISTRICT LEVEL KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA (KOHISTAN DISTRICT)" (PDF). KOHISTAN_BLOCKWISE.pdf. Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. 3 January 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
25. "LITERACY RATE, ENROLMENT AND OUT OF SCHOOL POPULATION BY SEX AND RURAL/URBAN, CENSUS-2023" (PDF).
26. "LITERACY RATE, ENROLMENT AND OUT OF SCHOOL POPULATION BY SEX AND RURAL/URBAN, CENSUS-2023" (PDF).
27. "LITERACY RATE, ENROLMENT AND OUT OF SCHOOL POPULATION BY SEX AND RURAL/URBAN, CENSUS-2023" (PDF).
28. "LITERACY RATE, ENROLMENT AND OUT OF SCHOOL POPULATION BY SEX AND RURAL/URBAN, CENSUS-2023" (PDF).
29. "LITERACY RATE, ENROLMENT AND OUT OF SCHOOL POPULATION BY SEX AND RURAL/URBAN, CENSUS-2023" (PDF).

Further reading

• Population Census Organization, Government of Pakistan. "List of Districts/Agencies/Tribal Areas". Archived from the original on 19 December 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2006.
• Population Census Organization, Government of Pakistan. "List of Tehsils/Talukas with respect to their Districts". Archived from the original on 30 December 2010. Retrieved 14 April 2006.
• Country Profiles, South Asian Media Net. "Pakistan >> District Profiles". Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 14 April 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
• "District Governments of Sindh". Local Government Department, Government of Sindh. Archived from the original on 26 November 2009. Retrieved 16 February 2014.

External links

• List of districts from the Population Census Organization (Government of Pakistan)

v t e List of Districts of Pakistan
Districts by Human Development Index
List of districts in Balochistan Qalat Awaran Kalat Khuzdar Lasbela Mastung Shaheed Sikandarabad Makran Gwadar Kech Panjgur Mand Nasirabad Jafarabad Jhal Magsi Kachhi Nasirabad Sohbatpur Quetta Killa Abdullah Pishin Quetta Sibi Dera Bugti Harnai Kohlu Lehri Sibi Ziarat Zhob Killa Saifullah Sherani Zhob Rakhshan Chagai Kharan Nushki Washuk Chaman Loralai Barkhan Duki Loralai Musakhel
Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bannu Bannu Lakki Marwat North Waziristan Dera Ismail Khan Dera Ismail Khan Upper South Waziristan Lower South Waziristan Tank Hazara Abbottabad Battagram Haripur Kolai-Palas Lower Kohistan Mansehra Torghar Upper Kohistan Kohat Hangu Karak Kohat Kurram Orakzai Malakand Bajaur Buner Lower Chitral Lower Dir Malakand Shangla Swat Upper Chitral Upper Dir Mardan Mardan Swabi Peshawar Charsadda Khyber Mohmand Nowshera Peshawar
Districts of Punjab Bahawalpur Bahawalnagar Bahawalpur Rahim Yar Khan Dera Ghazi Khan Dera Ghazi Khan Layyah Muzaffargarh Rajanpur Taunsa Kot Addu Faisalabad Chiniot Faisalabad Jhang Toba Tek Singh Gujranwala Gujranwala Narowal Sialkot Gujrat Gujrat Hafizabad Mandi Bahauddin Wazirabad Lahore Kasur Lahore Nankana Sahib Sheikhupura Ravi Multan Khanewal Lodhran Multan Vehari Rawalpindi Attock Chakwal Jhelum Murree Rawalpindi Talagang Sahiwal Okara Pakpattan Sahiwal Sargodha Bhakkar Khushab Mianwali Sargodha
Districts of Sindh Hyderabad Badin Thatta Sujawal Dadu Hyderabad Jamshoro Matiari Tando Allahyar Tando Muhammad Khan Karachi Karachi Central Karachi East Karachi South Karachi West Korangi Malir Keamari Larkana Jacobabad Kashmore Larkana Qambar Shahdadkot Shikarpur Mirpur Khas Mirpur Khas Tharparkar Umerkot Sukkur Ghotki Khairpur Sukkur Shaheed Benazir Abad Naushahro Feroze Sanghar Shaheed Benazir Abad
Districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Mirpur Bhimber Kotli Mirpur Muzaffarabad Hattian Muzaffarabad Neelam Poonch Bagh Haveli Poonch Sudhanoti
Districts of Gilgit–Baltistan Baltistan Ghanche Kharmang Rondu Shigar Skardu Gilgit Ghizer Gilgit Gupis-Yasin Hunza Nagar Diamer Astore Darel Diamer Tangir
Category Portal

• Districts of Pakistan
• Lists of subdivisions of Pakistan
• Third-level administrative divisions by country
• Subdivisions of Pakistan
• Local government in Pakistan