The top-level domain (TLD) for Pakistan is “.pk.” The .pk domain is country code top-level domain (ccTLD) in the Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. As per Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), .pk is the domain extension officially assigned to represent websites from Pakistan.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) commenced the registration for .pk domains from 1992. The administrative contact and the billing contact of .pk domains must belong to Pakistan. PK domain names are managed and maintained by PKNIC which acts as the .pk domains registry. PKNIC is responsible for the administration of the .pk domain name space, including the operation of the DNS for the Root-Servers for .pk domains, and registration and maintenance of all .pk domain names.
The domain registry provides a certain variety of domain registration under .pk including .com.pk, .net.pk, .edu.pk, .org.pk, .fam.pk, .biz.pk, .web.pk, and more set for various types of entities operating in Pakistan. For example, the .edu.pk is reserved for Pakistan’s educational institutes. Only registered educational entities in Pakistan are allowed to use this domain. Similarly, .gov.pk is reserved for the government of Pakistan and each provincial government including ministries, divisions, departments etc.
There are certain eligibility criteria for registering these domains. Registration under .pk domains can be done for minimum 2 years period and maximum for 10 years period. It is noteworthy that .pk is a second level country-code domain which means that it usually requires a local presence for the registrant.
PKNIC has reserved all rights to approve or disapprove any registration or cancellation request for .pk domains. It also reserves the right to change the registration fee or renewal fee for the .pk domain without any prior notice.
.pk domain names are widely used by Pakistani companies, individuals, and even by the government. Some examples include “www.pta.gov.pk” (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority), “www.dawn.com” (DAWN news) and “www.uaf.edu.pk” (University of Agriculture, Faisalabad).
You can see several more examples by visiting major businesses in Pakistan, local organizations, or government websites, almost all of them use .pk domain names to represent their Pakistani identity on the Internet.
In conclusion, the .pk TLD serves as a national identity for Pakistani corporations, organizations, and individuals online. It is administered by PKNIC under the guidelines set by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.
Sources used: IANA Root Zone Database (https://www.iana.org/domains/root/db) and PKNIC official website (https://pknic.net.pk/).
