The administrative units of Pakistan comprise four provinces, one federal territory, and two disputed territories: the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan; the Islamabad Capital Territory; and the administrative territories of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan. As part of the Kashmir conflict with neighbouring India, Pakistan has also claimed sovereignty over the Indian-controlled territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh since the First Kashmir War of 1947–1948, but has never exercised administrative authority over either region. All of Pakistan's provinces and territories are subdivided into divisions, which are further subdivided into districts, and then tehsils, which are again further subdivided into union councils.
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is the provincial government of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Its powers and structure are set out in the provisions of the 1973 Constitution, in which 32 districts come under its authority and jurisdiction. The government includes the cabinet, selected from members the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, and the non-political civil staff within each department. The province is governed by a unicameral legislature with the head of government known as the Chief Minister. The Chief Minister, invariably the leader of a political party represented in the Assembly, selects members of the Cabinet. The Chief Minister and Cabinet are thus responsible the functioning of government and are entitled to remain in office so long as it maintains the confidence of the elected Assembly. The head of the province is known as the Governor, appointed by the federal government, on behalf of the President, while the administrative boss of the province is Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi is a Pakistani politician from Abbottabad who began his political career as an independent candidate in the 1985 election. He won seats in both the provincial and national assembly. He also won all subsequent elections up to that of 2013.
The chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the head of government of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The chief minister leads the legislative branch of the provincial government, and is elected by the Provincial Assembly. As long as she or he has the confidence of the assembly, a single term in office for the chief minister can be a maximum of five years. There is no term on the number of limits. Ali Amin Gandapur is current chief minister of KPK.
Shahram Khan Tarakai is a Pakistani politician who was Provincial Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Local Government, Elections and Rural Development, in office from 29 August 2018 till 26 January 2020. He is currently a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan since February 2024. He had been a member of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from August 2018 till January 2023.
The Provincial Assembly ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa is a unicameral legislature of elected representatives of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is located in Peshawar, the provincial capital. It was established under Article 106 of the Constitution of Pakistan, having a total of 145 seats, with 115 general seats, 26 seats reserved for women and 4 reserved for non-Muslims.
Ameer Haider Khan Hoti is a Pakistani Pashtun politician who was the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2008 to 2013. During his government, the province was renamed from "North-West Frontier Province" to "Khyber Pakhtunkhwa." Hoti had also been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 till August 2023 and from June 2013 to May 2018. He is the Senior Vice President of the Awami National Party (ANP).
The governor of Sindh is the appointed head of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. The office of the governor as the head of the province is largely a ceremonial position; the executive powers lie with the chief minister and the chief secretary of Sindh.
The Governor of Balochistan is the head of the province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The post was established on 1 July 1970, after the dissolution of West Pakistan province and the end of One Unit. Under Pakistan's current parliamentary system, the governorship is a ceremonial position, as a symbol of the federation. The governor is appointed by the centre, whereas the principal head of the provincial government remains the elected Chief Minister of Balochistan.
The Governor of Punjab is the appointed head of state of the provincial government in Punjab, Pakistan. Although the Governor is the head of the province on paper, it is largely a ceremonial position; and the main powers lie with the Chief Minister of Punjab and Chief Secretary of Punjab.
The Eighteenth Amendment of the Constitution of Pakistan was passed by the National Assembly of Pakistan on April 8, 2010, removing the power of the President of Pakistan to dissolve the Parliament unilaterally, turning Pakistan from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary republic, and renaming North-West Frontier Province to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It also gave self-governing, legislative and financial autonomy to provincial authorities. The package was intended to counter the sweeping powers amassed by the presidency under former presidents General Pervez Musharraf and General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq and to ease political instability in Pakistan. The bill reversed many infringements on the Constitution of Pakistan over several decades by its military rulers. The amendment bill was passed by the Senate of Pakistan on April 15, 2010 and it became an act of parliament when President Asif Ali Zardari signed the bill on April 19, 2010. It was the first time in Pakistan's history that a president relinquished a significant part of his powers willingly and transferred them to parliament and the office of the prime minister.
The governor of Gilgit Baltistan is the appointed head of state of the provincial government in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. The governor is designated by the prime minister of Pakistan and is normally regarded a ceremonial post. However, throughout the history of Pakistan, the powers of the provincial governors were vastly increased, every time the provincial assemblies were dissolved and the administrative role came under direct control of the governors.
Chief Minister of Sindh, is the elected head of government of Sindh. Syed Murad Ali Shah is the current Chief Minister of Sindh, serving as a Government of Sindh since 26 February, 2024.
Pervez Khattak administration was the coalition of provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa between Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), and Awami Jamhuri Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP). AJIP later merged itself with PTI.
Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani is a Pakistani politician who served as Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 2018 till 2024.
Mahmood Khan is a Pakistani politician who was the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from August 2018 till January 2023 and a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). He had been a member of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from August 2018 till January 2023, when he, as Chief Minister, dissolved the Assembly.
Provincial elections were held in the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 8 February 2024 to elect members of the 12th Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. On 5 August 2023, the results of the 2023 digital census were approved by the Council of Common Interests headed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Therefore, elections have been delayed for several months, as new delimitations will be published on 14 December 2023, as announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). On 2 November 2023, the ECP announced, in agreement with the President of Pakistan, Arif Alvi, that the elections would be held on 8 February 2024. This election was held concurrently with nationwide general elections and other provincial elections.
The events listed below are both anticipated and scheduled for the year 2023 in Pakistan.
