Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has issued an official notification formally dividing Swat district into two separate districts, following a cabinet decision.
The move brings a significant change to the region’s administrative structure.
According to the notification issued by the provincial department, the headquarters of the newly created Upper (Bar) Swat district has been established at Matta, while the administrative centre of Swat district will be Gulkada in Babuzai tehsil.
The notification states that Upper Swat will comprise the tehsils of Matta, Bahrain and Khwazakhela, while Swat district will include Babuzai, Kabal, Charbagh and Barikot tehsils.
It is worth noting that the decision to divide Swat into two districts was taken during the 43rd meeting of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet on 19 December 2025.
Following the implementation of this decision, the total number of districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has increased to 40.
Officials said the division aims to improve administrative efficiency and ensure the timely delivery of government services to the public.
