Khan Research Laboratories were the defending champions, having won their second Premier League title the previous season.
Teams play each other on a home and away basis The winners will represent Pakistan at the 2013 AFC President's Cup.
The bottom two teams will be relegated to the Pakistan Football Federation League.
Pakistan Police and Pak Elektron were relegated at the end of the 2011–12 season and were replaced by Wohaib and Zarai Taraqiati.
During the season, the Pakistan Navy vacated their previous home ground, the Municipal Stadium in Rawalpindi, for the Karachi Port Trust Stadium in Karachi due to the pitch condition at the former ground, thus KPT Stadium was used by three teams this season, the other two being Karachi Port Trust and National Bank, both had used KPT Stadium as their home ground since the start of Pakistan Premier League.