• Quetta split into two districts as province reorganised into 11 divisions, 41 districts
• Mastung shifted to Quetta division
QUETTA: The Balochistan government has announced measures to restructure administrative units in the province, reorganising Quetta district and realigning boundaries to raise the number of divisions to 11 and districts to 41, it emerged on Saturday.
Quetta district was administratively reorganised into East Quetta and West Quetta along the railway line, according to a July 8 notification issued by the provincial revenue department. East Quetta comprises Saddar, City and Sariab sub-divisions. West Quetta consists of Kuchlak and the newly created Brewery and Panjpai sub-divisions, alongside a new Brewery tehsil.
Mastung district was detached from Kalat division and included in Quetta division, which now has three districts.
The move drew opposition from tribal chiefs and political leaders of the Sarawan region.
Senior politician Nawabzada Haji Lashkari Raisani objected to changing Mastung’s historical status, claiming the administrative changes violate the historic 1948 accession agreement signed between the Khan of Kalat and Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Meanwhile, Kalat division was reorganised into Khuzdar and Lasbela divisions, ending its status as Kalat division.
Khuzdar division comprises Khuzdar, Kalat, Surab and the newly created Wadh district, which was detached from Khuzdar and contains Wadh, Ornach and Nal sub-divisions. Lasbela division comprises Lasbela, Hub and Awaran. Awaran and Kalat districts’ territorial limits remain unchanged.
District Shaheed Sikandarabad’s name was changed to Surab, reversing last year’s decision. It absorbed Zehri sub-division and tehsil from Khuzdar.
Khuzdar added Baghbana and Moola sub-divisions and Zeedi tehsil, while upgrading Karkh to a tehsil. Khuzdar’s Saroona sub-tehsil ceased to exist; its Shahnoorani and Kalghalo union councils joined Lasbela’s Kanraj sub-division.
Spelling changes were also announced as Makran is now Makuran, and Sibi division and city are Sevi.
Upper and Lower Dera Bugti were renamed North and South Dera Bugti.
In Makuran’s Gwadar district, Ormara and Jiwani sub-divisions were created. Naseerabad division’s Jaffarabad received Khanpur tehsil, while Sohbatpur received Jia Khan sub-division and tehsil.
Kachhi district moved from Naseerabad to Sevi division. Ziarat and Harnai were detached from Sevi and included in Loralai division.
Zhob district added Murgha Kibzai sub-division, and Mani Khawa has been created as a sub-division in Sherani district.
In Barshore, Toba Kakari sub-division and tehsil were created, and Barshore upgraded to a tehsil Chagai district’s namesake tehsil was upgraded to a subdivision, and Washuk received a new Nag subdivision.
Kohlu added Zarkuwana, Jandran and Hosarhi, while Barkhan added Rara Sham. Pishin, Qila Abdullah and Chaman limits remain unchanged.
Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2026