What is the capital of Pakistan?
Islamabad sits on the Pothohar Plateau at the foot of the Margalla Hills, next to the older city of Rawalpindi.
Islamabad is the capital and seat of government of Pakistan, a role it has held since 1967. Pakistan itself has an estimated population of 255,219,554 (2025).
Islamabad is not the largest city in Pakistan. That is Karachi, which makes Pakistan one of the countries whose capital is not their biggest city.
Islamabad at a glance
| City population | 1,100,000 (2023 census) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 2,300,000 (2023 census) |
| Country | 🇵🇰 Pakistan |
| Founded | 1960s |
| Capital since | 1967 |
| Largest city in Pakistan | Karachi |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 (PKT) |
| Currency | Pakistani rupee (PKR) |
About Islamabad
Islamabad is a planned city, built through the 1960s specifically to serve as the national capital.
Islamabad has been the capital of Pakistan since 1967, Islamabad replaced Karachi as Pakistan's capital once the new city was ready, with Rawalpindi serving as the interim capital during construction.
Karachi, still the country's largest city, was Pakistan's first capital until the purpose-built Islamabad replaced it in the 1960s.
Islamabad is only around Pakistan's tenth-largest city; Karachi, the former capital and main port, is by far the largest.
It was laid out as a calm, planned seat of government next to the older city of Rawalpindi.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Islamabad.
Frequently asked questions
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Pakistan on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.