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    • .pk

    Country-code top-level domains

    Overview

    .pk is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) assigned to Pakistan. It is administered by PKNIC, a non-profit, member-based corporation endorsed by the Government of Pakistan. The zone supports registrations at both second and third levels and also includes an internationalized domain name (IDN) in the Perso‑Arabic script: پاکستان.

    History

    • Introduced and delegated on 3 June 1992.
    • Registry and sponsor: PKNIC (PKNIC is the only organization endorsed by the Government of Pakistan to administer .pk).
    • Historically, registrations were commonly made at third level beneath second-level labels; second-level registrations were opened up (noted activity around 2005).
    • An IDN ccTLD in Perso-Arabic script (پاکستان.) was approved by ICANN in January 2011, delegated to the National Telecommunication Corporation, and the zone was added to the root in February 2017.

    Usage and Audience

    • Intended for entities connected with Pakistan; .pk is popular within Pakistan.
    • Open-use ccTLD: anyone (local or overseas individuals or entities) can register directly under .pk.
    • Typical audiences include commercial businesses, non-profits, educational institutions, government bodies, network providers and individuals.

    Common second-level and third-level domains and typical eligibility:

    • .pk — available to anyone (local or overseas)
    • .com.pk — commercial entities registered in Pakistan
    • .org.pk — non-profit organisations
    • .net.pk — network service providers
    • .ac.pk — educational and academic services
    • .edu.pk — accredited educational institutes
    • .res.pk — research institutes
    • .gov.pk — federal ministries of the Government of Pakistan
    • .mil.pk — Pakistan military organizations
    • .gok.pk, .gob.pk, .gkp.pk, .gop.pk, .gos.pk, .gog.pk — territorial/provincial government departments
    • .ltd.pk — limited companies
    • .web.pk — individual websites
    • .fam.pk — families and individuals
    • .biz.pk — general business, promotional

    Registration Rules

    • Open registration: no country presence required for registrations directly under .pk.
    • Registrations are handled via PKNIC-accredited registrars; PKNIC does not sell domains directly to end users.
    • Identity and documentation:
      • Pakistani nationals typically provide NADRA ID.
      • Additional identity verification may be required for international applicants.
    • Fees and periods:
      • Domains are typically paid and renewed annually.
      • Typical registration fees cited in sources: PKR 1,000–3,000 per year; premium names or special TLDs may cost more.
    • Dispute policy: UDRP is used (amended by PKNIC where applicable).
    • DNSSEC: supported (DNSSEC: Yes).

    Prohibited or restricted registrations (examples):

    • Names that infringe registered tradenames.
    • Names that contravene the Pakistan Penal Code (including defamation & blasphemy), the Anti-Terrorism Act or other applicable criminal law.
    • Names judged not to be bona fide or, in PKNIC's opinion, not appropriate for registration.

    Character and length rules:

    • Maximum label length: 63 characters (excluding the suffix .pk, .com.pk, etc.). Total domain length cannot exceed 70 characters.
    • For direct .pk registrations: minimum length is four characters (e.g., 1234.pk). Four-character labels must not begin with one of the PKNIC second-level subdomain names (e.g., com, net, org, gov, etc.).
    • For registrations under SLDs (e.g., .com.pk), a minimum of one character is allowed (e.g., a.com.pk).
    • Reserved strings: labels such as 'pk', 'www' and all second-level suffix names are reserved and cannot be registered in ways that create reserved combinations (e.g., pk.com.pk, www.net.pk).
    • A domain label cannot begin with a dash "-" and cannot contain two consecutive dashes "--" (the latter is reserved for IDN encodings).

    Registration process (high-level):

    1. Choose a name and check availability using an accredited registrar's search tool.
    2. Create an account with the registrar and provide required details and documentation.
    3. Pay the registration fee and complete the registrar's process.
    4. Domains are renewed annually through the registrar.

    Notable Cases or Examples

    • The introduction and delegation of the Urdu-script IDN ccTLD پاکستان. (approved by ICANN in January 2011 and added to the root in February 2017) is a significant development enabling domain names in the local Perso‑Arabic script for Pakistan.

    Operator

    PKNIC

    Whois

    % IANA WHOIS server
% for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org
% This query returned 1 object

domain:       PK

organisation: PKNIC
address:      435 Tariq Block
address:      New Garden Town
address:      Lahore
address:      Pakistan

contact:      administrative
name:         Ashar Nisar
organisation: PKNIC
address:      435 Tariq Block
address:      New Garden Town
address:      Lahore
address:      Pakistan
phone:        +92 (332) 477-1656
fax-no:       +1 (800) 835-9892
e-mail:       ashar@pknic.net.pk

contact:      technical
name:         Ashar Nisar
organisation: PKNIC
address:      435 Tariq Block
address:      New Garden Town
address:      Lahore
address:      Pakistan
phone:        +92-(332)-477-1656
e-mail:       ashar@pknic.net.pk

nserver:      ROOT-C1.PKNIC.PK 185.159.197.160 2620:10a:80aa:0:0:0:0:160
nserver:      ROOT-C2.PKNIC.PK 185.159.198.160 2620:10a:80ab:0:0:0:0:160
nserver:      ROOT-E.PKNIC.PK 107.6.178.178
nserver:      ROOT-S.PKNIC.PK 119.81.34.90

whois:        whois.pknic.net.pk

status:       ACTIVE
remarks:      Registration information: http://www.pknic.net.pk/

created:      1992-06-03
changed:      2022-07-06
source:       IANA

    Registrars