Research Agenda 2026–2027
A structured programme for examining how territorial organization, provincial institutions and local government shape representation, public administration and service delivery in Pakistan.
How can Pakistan evaluate changes to its territorial and intergovernmental system using constitutional law, demographic evidence, administrative feasibility, fiscal analysis and public input rather than assumptions about a preferred map?
Six research streams
Federal structure & legal process
Map the constitutional provisions, amendment procedures and institutional roles relevant to changes in provincial boundaries and devolution.
Population & representation
Use Census 2023 and subsequent official releases to examine population scale, density, urbanization and demographic change.
State capacity & access
Study administrative geography, departmental reach, capital accessibility, institutional duplication and transition requirements.
Revenue & expenditure
Examine intergovernmental transfers, own-source revenue, expenditure responsibilities, assets, liabilities and transition costs.
Devolution below the province
Compare provincial restructuring with stronger local government as alternative or complementary institutional responses.
Public preferences & deliberation
Document public arguments, reservations and priorities while distinguishing voluntary online feedback from representative polling.
Planned outputs
- Flagship policy papers addressing the overall reform question.
- Short policy briefs translating technical findings into accessible summaries.
- Working papers for methods, datasets and questions still under review.
- District and regional research notes using consistent indicators.
- Data briefs with reproducible definitions and source dates.
- Public consultation reports that disclose the limits of voluntary participation.
- Comparative notes on subnational governance in other federations and decentralized states.
Research standards
PPRI will identify the source and reference period for material facts, distinguish calculations from reported statistics, label analytical scenarios as scenarios, and record material limitations. Where credible sources disagree, the disagreement will be shown rather than silently resolved.