Area Code 515 – Islamabad/Rawalpindi

Overview of Area Code +92 515

Area code 515 is a geographic National Destination Code (NDC) within the Pakistan numbering plan, administered under the ITU-T E.164 standard. It serves the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, along with their surrounding suburban and peri-urban areas in the northern Punjab region. This code is assigned to fixed-line PSTN services, including traditional copper lines, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), and other wireline voice services. It is important to note that while Islamabad is the federal capital, its numbering resources are shared with Rawalpindi due to their contiguous metropolitan area.

Geographic Coverage and Jurisdiction

The 515 code covers the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and the Rawalpindi District, including major sectors of Islamabad such as G-9, F-8, and Blue Area, as well as Rawalpindi’s Saddar, Satellite Town, and Chaklala. The code is administered by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), which oversees the allocation of NDCs to licensed operators. Although the two cities are distinct administrative entities, they share a single local calling area, meaning calls between them are considered local and do not require the use of an additional trunk prefix.

Dialing Formats and Usage

For callers within Pakistan, the local dialing format is 051 followed by the 7-digit subscriber number (e.g., 051-2345678). When dialing from outside Pakistan, the international format is +92 51 2345678 or +92512345678 in E.164 notation. The leading zero of the national significant number is dropped when adding the country code. For example, a caller in the United States would dial 011 92 51 2345678, while a caller from the UK would dial 00 92 51 2345678.

Overlay and Numbering Considerations

Currently, there is no overlay code for the Islamabad/Rawalpindi area; 515 remains the sole geographic code for the region. However, due to the growing demand for fixed-line services, the PTA has implemented number conservation measures, and some operators may use the code for VoIP-based fixed services that are geographically tied to the area. Subscriber numbers are typically 7 digits long, and the total length of a national significant number (NSN) is 10 digits (including the leading zero).

Caller Instructions

For local callers within the 515 area, dialing the 7-digit subscriber number directly is sufficient for local calls. For calls from other regions of Pakistan, dial 051 followed by the subscriber number. International callers must use the country code +92, omit the trunk prefix 0, and then dial 51 and the subscriber number. It is advisable to confirm the correct number length with the called party, as some older lines may have fewer digits.