Multan (Saraiki, Punjabi, Urdu: مُلتان pronunciation ), is a city in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is Pakistan's third largest city by area and its fifth largest by population.[citation needed] The city is located on the banks of the Chenab River in the geographic center of the country and is about 562 km (349 mi) from the capital Islamabad, 356 km (221 mi) from Lahore and 966 km (600 mi) from Karachi. Multan District has a population of 3.1 million (1998).