PAK on the scoreboard, PK in a web address, +92 on a phone number — Pakistan wears several short forms, and each belongs to a different system. Here is the Pakistan short form guide: what each code means, who assigns it, and when to use which.
Quick answer: Pakistan’s short forms are PAK (3-letter ISO code, Olympics, cricket scoreboards), PK (2-letter ISO code, the .pk domain), and +92 (telephone country code). The official full name remains the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
In this guide
PAK: the three-letter code
PAK is Pakistan’s ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 code — the international standard’s three-letter country identifier. You meet it as:
- The IOC country code — Pakistani athletes march behind PAK at the Olympics.
- The cricket scoreboard code — every international lists Pakistan as PAK.
- Vehicle and aviation shorthand in international contexts.
PK: the two-letter code
PK is the ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code — the two-letter standard behind:
- The .pk country-code internet domain (e.g. example.com.pk).
- Two-letter abbreviations in databases, shipping and logistics.
- Pakistan’s ISO 3166-1 numeric code is 586 — the number behind both.
+92: the phone code
+92 is Pakistan’s ITU-T E.164 country calling code, assigned by the International Telecommunication Union. Dialling Pakistan from abroad: +92, then the area/mobile code without its leading zero (e.g. +92 300 for a 0300 mobile). Within Pakistan, the trunk prefix 0 is used instead.
Which one to use when
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Sports, Olympics, scoreboards | PAK |
| Websites, domains | PK (.pk) |
| Phone numbers abroad | +92 |
| Forms, databases, ISO fields | PK or PAK as the form specifies |
| Official documents | Islamic Republic of Pakistan (no abbreviation) |
For the name’s origin see Pakistan full form and who coined the name Pakistan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the short form of Pakistan?
PAK (3-letter) and PK (2-letter); +92 for phones.
What is Pakistan’s country code?
+92 for telephones; PK/PAK under ISO 3166; 586 is the numeric code.
Why is Pakistan “PAK” in cricket?
International cricket uses the IOC-style three-letter codes; Pakistan’s is PAK — the same code used at the Olympics.
, PK (.pk domain), +92 (phone code) — what each means and when to use it.){kind=link}