Internal Migration Patterns in Pakistan—The Case for Fiscal Decentralisation

This paper analyses the degree of integration between provinces in Pakistan through the internal migration patterns in the country. It establishes empirically the rationality of both urban-urban and rural-urban migrants in the country who are found to respond to economic incentives when choosing the destination district. Internal migration in the last ten years stands at a mere 2.3 percent, with less than a quarter of these people moving across provinces. This trend shows little or no improvement over time, hinting at the continued rigidity of provincial boundaries. An in-depth look at the migration patterns reveals that the concentration of flows is towards the provincial and federal capitals (56 percent). In light of fiscal decentralisation, this unipolar migration trend highlights the importance of fair and equitable resource distribution amongst provinces