CHANGES IN THE SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF ADMINISTRATIVE AREAS IN PAKISTAN: A GEOGRAPHICAL EVALUATION

The objective of this study is two fold: a)To identify the changes that have been effected in spatial pattern of administrative areas Pakistan. b)To evaluate the spatial structure of administrative areas in terms of functional effectiveness of these areas.Functional effectiveness has been studied using seventeen variables selected from diverse sectors like population, literacy, education, health, income, employments and transport.These variables are highly inter-correlated hence, the use of principal component analysis as a model to explain the functional effectiveness of districts appropriate.The study covers a period of seventeen years from 1981to 1998 both being census year. The results of 1981 analysis reveals that greater functional effectiveness has been shown by districts which include the provincial capitals or large metropolitan centers like Karachi which stands out with the highest weighted component scores. Both eastern Punjab and southern Sindh account for significant share of functional effectiveness. NWFP and Balochistan emerge as the relatively less developed in terms of functional effectiveness.A second analysis based on 1998 data displays a pattern of functional effectiveness of districts which has a great spatial coverage as compared to 1981. northern, eastern and central Punjab display a relatively higher level of functional effectiveness reflecting increase in urban-industrial-commercial development over the seventeen years. Pockets of functional effectiveness have appeared in central NWFP and coastal Balochistan. Rest of the country shows low functional effectiveness due to low socio-economic development. Methodologically this study is based on quantitative cartographic analysis of the data. Modern like GIS and computer assisted cartographic methods have been employed in this study