Developing Backward Areas Shaheed 0.472 L Benazirabad Rakshan 0.478 L Sukkur 0.465 L Kalat 0.471 L Mirpurkhas 0.389 VL Sibi 0.446 L Larkana 0.361 VL Nasirabad 0.336 VL Banbhore 0.342 VL Zhob 0.287 VL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX Very High(VH): HDI ≥ 0.7 High(H): 0.6 ≤ HDI< 0.7 Medium(M): 0.5 ≤ HDI< 0.6 Low(L): 0.4 ≤ HDI< 0.5 Very Low(VL): HDI< 0.4 Source: Estimated Punjab has two divisions with a high level of human development. These are Rawalpindi and Lahore divisions. An unexpected finding is the higher ranking of Rawalpindi. This is probably due to the externalities of proximity to the capital city, Islamabad, which has the highest HDI in Pakistan. Three divisions of Punjab have a low HDI, namely, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan, and Bahawalpur. This confirms the big North-South divide in Punjab. All three of the low HDI divisions are in South Punjab. Sindh has a big spread in the HDI values among the divisions. It ranges from a high HDI, as expected, in Karachi to very low HDIs in three divisions – Mirpur Khas, Larkana and Banbore. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is also characterized by a North-South divide. Peshawar has a high HDI while the southern divisions, namely, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Waziristan all have low HDI values. Balochistan has widespread low or very low level of human development. Only two divisions, namely, Makran and Quetta, have either higher or medium HDI. In fact, the two divisions with the lowest HDI values among the divisions of Pakistan are in Balochistan. These are Zhob and Nasirabad. A similar analysis of inequality among divisions in a Province has also been undertaken. The greatest intra-provincial inequality is observed in Sindh, followed by Balochistan and Punjab. The province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is characterized by the lowest level of regional inequality. 253