Asia · capital city
What Is the Capital of Pakistan?
Islamabad
The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad. About 1.2 million people live in the Islamabad urban area — 0.5% of the country's population.
1.2 million
Urban area population
UTC+5
Time zone
33.68°N
Latitude · 73.05°E
No
Largest city: Karachi
Islamabad at a glance
Name origin
The name means "city of Islam" and derives from the Arabic islam, referring to the Islamic faith, and the Persian suffix -abad, meaning "inhabited place" or "city".
Time zone
UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). No daylight saving time.
Coordinates
33 41 N, 73 03 E · IANA time zone Asia/Karachi
Location of Pakistan
Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, between India on the east and Iran and Afghanistan on the west and China in the north
Largest cities in Pakistan
1
Karachi
17.2 million2
Lahore
14.0 million3
Faisalabad
3.7 million4
Gujranwala
2.4 million5
Peshawar
2.4 million6
Islamabad Capital
1.2 millionUrban-area population · CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Capitals of neighbouring countries
Tehran, Iran — 1,986 km
Beijing, China — 3,881 kmCapitals closest to Islamabad
Kabul, Afghanistan — 368 km
Dushanbe, Tajikistan — 664 km
New Delhi, India — 689 km
Tashkent, Uzbekistan — 912 km
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan — 1,030 km
Kathmandu, Nepal — 1,346 km
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan — 1,403 km
Thimphu, Bhutan — 1,729 km
Straight-line distance between capitals.
Frequently asked questions about Islamabad
What is the capital of Pakistan?
The capital of Pakistan is Islamabad. About 1.2 million people live in the Islamabad urban area — 0.5% of the country's population.
Is Islamabad the largest city in Pakistan?
No. The largest urban area is Karachi (17.2 million), while Islamabad has about 1.2 million.
What time zone is Islamabad in?
Islamabad is on UTC+5 — UTC+5 (10 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). There is no daylight saving time.
Where does the name Islamabad come from?
The name means "city of Islam" and derives from the Arabic islam, referring to the Islamic faith, and the Persian suffix -abad, meaning "inhabited place" or "city".
Which capital is closest to Islamabad?
Among the capitals of neighbouring countries, Kabul (Afghanistan) is the closest, 368 km away in a straight line.
Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).