A simple question with a slightly complicated history. The capital city of Pakistan is Islamabad — here’s the one-minute answer plus the context that makes it interesting.
Quick answer: The capital city of Pakistan is Islamabad. It has been the federal capital since 14 August 1967, when it replaced Karachi. Islamabad is a planned city of 2.36 million people (Islamabad Capital Territory, 2023 census) at the foot of the Margalla Hills, administered directly by the federal government.
The Short Answer: Islamabad
Islamabad — population 2.36 million in the Capital Territory (2023 census) — is the capital city of Pakistan. If you need it for an exam, a form or a quiz: Islamabad, since 1967. That’s the whole answer.
How You Can Tell It’s the Capital
Capitals are where the state lives. In Islamabad you’ll find: the Parliament House (National Assembly + Senate), the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the President’s Aiwan-e-Sadr and Prime Minister’s House, every federal ministry, and the diplomatic enclave housing all foreign embassies. No other Pakistani city holds all of these. See inside the PM House.
The Longer Story
Karachi was the first capital (1947); the government decided to build a purpose-built capital in the north, commissioned Greek architect Doxiadis in 1960, used Rawalpindi as interim capital, and inaugurated Islamabad on 14 August 1967. The full narrative: why the capital moved.
The Capital Today
Modern Islamabad is Pakistan’s tenth-largest city, its greenest, and its administrative heart — planned sectors, the Faisal Mosque skyline, Margalla trails at its back. Explore it in our complete city guide and the Islamabad pillar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the capital city of Pakistan?
Islamabad — the federal capital since 14 August 1967.
Is Karachi the capital of Pakistan?
Not anymore. Karachi was the first capital (1947 to the 1960s) and remains the commercial capital and largest city, but the political capital is Islamabad.
Is Lahore the capital of Pakistan?
No — Lahore is the capital of Punjab province, not of Pakistan. The national capital is Islamabad.
What is the capital of Pakistan in Urdu?
پاکستان کا دارالحکومت اسلام آباد ہے — Pakistan ka darul-hakumat Islamabad hai.
