List of districts in Balochistan

This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. The specific problem is: Colored text needs to be replaced with another mechanism so the article can be undersood by all, expecially those using screen readers or unable to distinguish colors. Please help if you can. (January 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Districts of Balochistan, Pakistan
Districts of Balochistan with their names as of 2020
Location	Balochistan, Pakistan
Number	35 (as of June 30, 2021)
Populations	97,017 (Harnai District) – 2,275,699 (Quetta District)
Government	District Government City District Government Zilla Council
Subdivisions	Tehsils

The province of Balochistan, the least populated province of Pakistan and the largest province by area, is divided into 35 districts and seven divisions.^[1] Below, you will find an overview of the recent history of districts in Balochistan, Pakistan, a map showing each district, the divisions of Balochistan and their districts, and a list showing each district's name, the division the district belongs to, the district's area, the location of the district's headquarters, the district's population and population density (in 2017), the average annual population growth rate of each district (between 1998 and 2017), and a map showing each district's location.

History[]

Colonial Times[]

1877 - 1901[]

The area which covers the modern-day Pakistani province of Balochistan was first introduced to districts and divisions as administrative units under the British, and the area was first incorporated into British India in 1877. The first census of the Balochistan region was held in 1891, but it only covered the parts of Balochistan east of the 66th meridian east, was incomplete, and never had a report written about it.^[2] The first full census that was completed and had a report written on it took place in 1901. By 1901, Balochistan was divided into both the Baluchistan Agency and the Chief Commissioner's Province of Baluchistan, which was also more commonly known as British Baluchistan.

In 1901, British Baluchistan consisted principally of the areas which were under the control of Afghans, but were ceded to the British with the Treaty of Gandamak in 1879, and were formally declared British India in 1887. It was divided into two districts: Thal-Chotiali District, which consisted of the Tehsils of Duki, Shahrig (Shahrug), and Sibi, and Quetta-Pishin District, which was subdivided into Pishin Tehsil, Chaman Subdivision, and Shorarud Sub-Division.^[2]

The Baluchistan Agency was split into three divisions: The areas directly administered by the British, the Native States, and the Tribal Areas.^[2]

The areas directly administered by the British consisted of the Bolan Agency, the Chagai Agency (which consisted of Chagai, Nushki, and Western Sinjrani), the Quetta-Pishin Agency (which consisted of Quetta Tehsil excluding Shorarud), the Thal-Chotiali Agency (made of the Barkhan Tehsil, the Kohlu Sub-Tehsil, and the Sanjawi (Sinjawi) Sub-Tehsil), and the Zhob Agency (which included Fort Sandeman, Hindobagh, Loralai, Musakhel, and Qilla Saifullah Tehsils).^[2]

There were four autonomous princely states, making up the native states, in Balochistan: The state of Kharan (which was a vassal of Qalat), The state of Las Bela, The state of Makran, and the Khanate of Qalat (which was divided into Domki, Kaheri, and Umrani Country; Jhalawan Country; Kachhi Country; Nasirabad Niabat; and Sarawan Country).^[2]

The two tribal areas were Bugti Country and Marri Country. The tribal areas consisted of Baloch tribes which, as per the census report of 1901, exhibited "nomadic tendency to the largest degree".^[2]

This meant that the administrative setup of the Balochistan region under British control was as follows in 1901 (territories which do not exist anymore are in red writing, territories which have been renamed or have had a status change (from princely state to district, for example) are in blue writing):^[2]

• British Baluchistan
  • Quetta-Pishin District
  • Thal-Chotiali District
• Baluchistan Agency
  • Directly Administered Territories
    • Bolan Agency
    • Chagai Agency
    • Quetta-Pishin Agency
    • Thal-Chotiali Agency
    • Zhob Agency
  • Native Princely States
    • State of Kharan
    • State of Las Bela
    • State of Makran
    • Khanate of Qalat
  • Tribal Areas
    • Bugti Country
    • Marri Country

1901 - 1947[]

By the time of the 1911 census, all the directly administered territories of the Baluchistan Agency had been abolished and reformed into districts in the Chief Commissioner's Province (British Baluchistan). Thal-Chotiali District was also abolished. In their place came the six districts of Bolan (previously Bolan Agency), Chagai (previously Chagai Agency), Loralai (previously parts of Thal-Chotiali District and Thal-Chotiali Agency), Quetta-Pishin (previously Quetta-Pishin District and Quetta-Pishin Agency), Sibi (previously parts of Thal-Chotiali District and Thal-Chotiali Agency), and Zhob (previously Zhob Agency). The two Tribal Areas of Bugti Country and Marri Country were also abolished as a separate unit and were made a part of Sibi District called Marri-Bugti Country (which became known the unadministered area of Sibi District, as opposed to the administered areas which covered parts of Thal-Chotiali District and Thal-Chotiali Agency).^[3]

No changes occurred to the administrative setup of the Native Princely States, which now made up the entire Baluchistan Agency until 1940, when the State of Kharan gained complete independence from the Khanate of Qalat. This did not, though, have any effect on the borders and administrative units of the borders themselves, as the State of Kharan already existed as an entity before. The only difference was now it was completely separate from Qalat.^[4]

This left the following administrative setup, which would see no changes through the 1921,^[5] 1931,^[6] and 1941 censuses,^[4] all the way until Pakistani independence (territories which do not exist anymore are in red writing, territories which have been renamed or have had a status change (from princely state to district, for example) are in blue writing):^[3][5][6]

• British Baluchistan
  • Bolan District
  • Chagai District
  • Loralai District
  • Quetta-Pishin District
  • Sibi District
    • Administered Area
    • Marri-Bugti Country
  • Zhob District
• Baluchistan Agency
  • State of Kharan
  • State of Las Bela
  • State of Makran
  • Khanate of Qalat

Post-Independence[]

1998 - 2017[]

At the time of the 1998 Census of Pakistan, Balochistan had 26 districts,^[7] but since then, the province has created 9 new districts.^[1]

In 2005, the tehsil of Washuk received district status after splitting off from the district of Kharan, and became Washuk District.^[8][9]

List of Districts[]

Map	Sr. No.	District	Headquarters	Area (km2)	Population (1998)	Population (2017)[10]	Density (people/km2)
	1	Awaran	Awaran	29,510	118,173	121,821	4
	2	Barkhan	Barkhan	3,514	103,545	171,025	49
	3	Kachhi	Dhadar	5,682	255,480	309,932	55
	4	Chagai	Chagai	44,748	104,534	226,517	5
	(34)	Chaman	Chaman	1,341	151,854	434,561	324
	5	Dera Bugti	Dera Bugti	10,160	181,310	313,110	31
	(32)	Duki (18)		4,233	115,976	152,977	36
	6	Gwadar	Gwadar	12,637	185,498	262,253	21
	7	Harnai	Harnai	2,492	76,652	97,052	39
	(17)	Hub	Hub	6,716	163,194	339,640	51
	8	Jafarabad	Dera Allahyar	1,643	291,290	513,972	313
	9	Jhal Magsi	Jhal Magsi	3,615	109,941	148,900	41
	10	Kalat	Kalat	7,654	144,433	211,201	28
	11	Kech	Turbat	22,539	413,204	907,182	40
	12	Kharan	Kharan	14,958	96,900	162,766	11
	13	Kohlu	Kohlu	7,610	99,846	213,933	28
	14	Khuzdar	Khuzdar	35,380	417,466	798,896	23
	17	Lasbela	Uthal	8,437	149,501	236,631	28
	18	Loralai	Loralai	3,785	134,171	244,446	65
	19	Mastung	Mastung	3,308	150,039	265,676	80
	20	Musakhel	Musa Khel Bazar	5,728	134,056	167,243	29
	21	Nasirabad	Dera Murad Jamali	3,387	245,894	487,847	144
	22	Nushki	Nushki	5,797	98,030	178,947	31
	15	Qila Abdullah	Qila Abdullah	3,553	208,870	323,793	91
	16	Qila Saifullah	Killa Saifullah	6,831	193,553	342,932	50
	23	Panjgur	Panjgur	16,891	234,051	315,353	19
	24	Pishin	Pishin	6,218	376,728	736,903	119
	25	Quetta	Quetta	3,447	774,547	2,269,473	658
	26	Sherani	Sherani	4,310	81,684	152,952	35
	27	Sibi	Sibi	7,121	136,322	179,751	25
	(8)	Sohbatpur	Sohbatpur	802	141,527	200,426	250
	(10)	Surab	Surab	762	93,401	200,857	264
	28	Washuk	Washuk	33,093	110,009	175,712	5
	29	Zhob	Zhob	15,987	193,458	310,354	19
	30	Ziarat	Ziarat	3,301	80,748	160,095	48

Former district

• Lehri District

See also[]

• List of tehsils of Balochistan
• Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Districts of Gilgit-Baltistan

Notes[]

References[]