MAP STORIES · REAL EXAMPLE
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa across the proposal models.
KP shows how geography can make access more complicated than a simple population count. Mountain districts, merged districts and southern districts can point toward different administrative centres.
Published 18 September 2026 · Subay Pakistan · Example using Census 2023
Administrative models do not change identity: Baloch remain Baloch, Punjabi remain Punjabi, Sindhi remain Sindhi, Pashtun remain Pashtun, and everyone keeps its cultural and regional identity.
The starting point
In the current model, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is one province with Peshawar as capital and about 40.86 million people across 35 census district entries.
KP across the models
| Model | KP-side units | Example capitals | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current | 1 unit | Peshawar | All KP district entries remain in one provincial government. |
| 12 provinces | 2 KP groupings | Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan | The model separates northern and southern KP at a broad scale. |
| 18 provinces | 3 KP groupings | Saidu Sharif, Peshawar, Kohat | Northern KP, central KP and southern KP are shown separately. |
| 24 provinces | 4 KP groupings | Saidu Sharif, Mardan, Peshawar, Kohat | Mardan appears as a separate north-central administrative centre. |
| 36 provinces | 7 KP groupings | Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Abbottabad, Kohat, Saidu Sharif, Mardan, Peshawar | This is the most localised KP model and would require careful access and capacity review. |
Follow a few districts
Peshawar stays a capital in every model, but Swat shifts from Peshawar-led groupings to Saidu Sharif in the 18, 24 and 36 models. Dera Ismail Khan moves from Peshawar in the current structure to southern models where Dera Ismail Khan or Kohat becomes the suggested capital.
Try it yourself
Follow Peshawar, compare Swat with Dera Ismail Khan, or open the full map and switch between the KP proposal models.