.pk

.pk is the ccTLD for Pakistan. It is managed by PKNIC.

Rules and Restrictions

.pk is an Open Use ccTLD. Anyone can register under .pk and no country presence is required.

A domain name will not be registered if:

• infringes upon a registered tradename;
• it contravenes the latest version of the Pakistan Penal Code Act, 1860 (including offenses of defamation & blasphemy) and/or the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997/any applicable criminal law;
• it is not bona fide as recognized by international best practice;
• in the opinion of PKNIC is not appropriate for registration.

Second-level Domains

The available second-level domains are:

• .com.pk: for general businesses or individuals;
• .net.pk: for network related businesses;
• .org.pk: for non-profit organizations;
• .fam.pk: for families and individuals;
• .biz.pk: for general businesses and promotional;
• .web.pk: for websites;
• .edu.pk: educational institutes;
• .ac.pk: for academic and educational purposes.(Accreditation not required)

There are different SLDs for the government of Pakistan, one for the federal government and one for each province:

• .gov.pk: for the government of Pakistan;
• .gob.pk: for government of Baluchistan;
• .gog.pk: for the government of Gilgit Baltistan;
• .gkp.pk: for the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa;
• .gop.pk: for the government of Punjab;
• .gos.pk: for the government of Sindh;
• .gok.pk: for the government of Azad Kashmir.

Characters

The maximum domain name length is 63 characters (excluding the suffix .pk, .com.pk, etc). Total domain length can not exceed 70.

For domain names directly under .pk, the minimum length is four characters (e.g. 1234.pk). A four character name before .pk can not start with one of the PKNIC second level sub-domains (e.g. com, net, org, gov, gop, etc.). For example the following domain names are not acceptable: "coms.pk", "comm.pk", "nets.pk", "net2.pk", "govs.pk", "a-ac.pk", etc.

For domain names under SLDs, the minimum of one character are allowed (e.g. a.com.pk). The label 'pk', 'www' and all the second level suffix names are reserved for these domain types (e.g. can not register "pk.com.pk", "net.com.pk", "www.net.pk", "com.com.pk", "gov.com.pk", etc).

A domain name can not begin with a dash "-", and can not have two consecutive dashes "--" in it. These are reserved for IDN encodings. Recent academic research and policy papers have explored the role of ccTLDs like .pk in supporting local digital economies.

A 2023 study by the University of Karachi highlighted the increasing importance of local ccTLDs in the development of regional digital identity, emphasizing the role of .pk in strengthening Pakistan’s online presence. The paper also analyzed the socio-economic impact of local domain adoption, noting that it can encourage trust among local users and improve the visibility of Pakistani businesses on the internet.

Additionally, a paper published in 2022 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) discussed the role of country-code domains in advancing national digital strategies. It pointed out that Pakistan’s government-led initiatives, including tax breaks and grants for businesses adopting .pk domains, are fostering greater local engagement with the country’s digital transformation.

Country code top-level domain

Internationalized Domain Name

International Telecommunication Union