Technical Guide to Phone Numbers in Pakistan

Quick Reference

• Country: Pakistan
• Country Code: +92
• International Prefix: 00
• National Prefix: 0

Overview

This comprehensive guide provides an in-depth look at Pakistan's telephone numbering system, including phone number formats, dialing procedures, and regulatory details. It is essential for telecom professionals, developers, and system administrators seeking accurate information on Pakistan's telecom infrastructure.

Numbering Plan Structure

General Number Structure

• Country Code: +92
• Area Codes: 2 to 5 digits
• Subscriber Number: 7 to 8 digits
• Total Length: 10 to 12 digits (including area code)

Number Formats by Type

Type	Format	Example
Landline	0XX-XXXXXXX	021-3456789
Mobile	03XZ-XXXXXXX	0333-1234567
Toll-Free	0800-XXXXX	0800-12345
Premium Rate	0900-XXXXX	0900-12345
Emergency	XXX	112

Area Codes for Major Cities

City	Area Code
Karachi	021
Lahore	042
Islamabad/Rawalpindi	051
Peshawar	091
Quetta	081
Multan	061

Mobile Number Prefixes by Operator

Operator	Prefix
Jazz (Mobilink)	030X, 032X
Telenor Pakistan	034X
Ufone	033X
Zong	031X

Example Regular Expressions

• Landline: ^0[1-9]{2}[0-9]{7}$
• Mobile: ^03[0-9]{2}[0-9]{7}$
• Toll-Free: ^0800[0-9]{5}$
• Premium Rate: ^0900[0-9]{5}$

Dialing Procedures

Domestic Calls

• Landline to Landline (Same City): Dial the 7-digit subscriber number directly.
• Landline to Landline (Different City): Dial the area code followed by the 7-digit subscriber number (e.g., 0XX-XXXXXXX).
• Landline to Mobile: Dial the mobile number in the format 03XZ-XXXXXXX.
• Mobile to Mobile: Dial the mobile number directly in the format 03XZ-XXXXXXX.

International Calls

• Outgoing International: Dial 00 followed by the country code, area code, and subscriber number.
• Incoming International: Dial +92 followed by the area code and subscriber number for landlines, or +92-3XZ-XXXXXXX for mobile numbers.

Number Portability

• Availability: Number portability is available for both mobile and fixed-line services in Pakistan.
• Regulatory Body: Managed by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA).

Regulatory Information

• Regulatory Body: Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA)
• ITU-T Standards: Pakistan adheres to ITU-T Recommendation E.164 for the international public telecommunication numbering plan.

Recent and Upcoming Changes

• Recent Updates: No significant changes to the numbering plan in the last five years.
• Future Changes: No upcoming changes are currently announced.

Number Allocation and Management

• Responsible Body: Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) is responsible for the allocation and management of phone numbers in Pakistan.
• Special Cases: No specific technical restrictions or unique cases like golden numbers are publicly documented.

Technical Considerations

Developer Guidelines

• Validation: Use the provided regular expressions to validate Pakistani phone numbers.
• Number Formatting: Ensure international numbers are formatted with the country code +92 and without the leading 0.
• Portability Handling: Implement mechanisms to handle number portability, particularly for mobile services.

System Integration

• Dialing Rules: Ensure systems are configured to handle both domestic and international dialing rules correctly.
• Emergency Numbers: Integrate support for emergency short codes (e.g., 112) into relevant applications.