.GOV.PK Domain Requirements

GOV.PK is used primarily for the Federal Government of Pakistan. For provincial domains, the name space of GOP.PK for Govt. of Punjab, GOS.PK for Sindh, GOB.PK for Baluchistan, GKP.PK for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, GOG for Gilgit Baltistan and GOK.PK for Azad Jammu & Kashmir are used.

In certain circumstances a GOV.PK may be used for a high level Provincial Department, that is unique in the province, if the name of the province is prominent in the domain name (e.g. Punjab-Police.gov.pk, etc).

To avoid inappropriate use of government domain names, the .gov.pk domain names are kept inactive after registration. For activation of the GOV domains, following requirements apply:

  • A letter of authorization signed by the Head of the government organization (or properly delegated authority).
  • This authorization letter must be on the original official stationary/letterhead (no photocopies or laser printed letterheads).
  • A CNIC copy of the authority signing the authorization letter.

Send these documents to the address as under:

PKNIC Collection
435 Tariq Block, Garden Town
Lahore. Pakistan

The domain will be activated upon verification of the received documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which domain names can I choose?

In principle, you are free to choose the domain name. However, you cannot choose names that are in use by other organizations, or names that for various reasons are prohibited or reserved for technical, ethical or national considerations. You also have a duty to ensure that your registration of a domain name does not infringe another party's right to the same name. Remember that the responsibility always rests with you. Here, you can read more about choosing a name.

How do I find out if a .pk domain name is available?

To find out if a name is available or to find out who registered a particular name, use our WHOIS Search tool which can be found on the home page of our website.

How much does a domain name cost?

For domain registrants based in Pakistan, a domain fee of Rs. 1600 per year will be charged. For domain registrant or their registrar located outside Pakistan, a fee of $15.99 per domain per year is charged. The fee is charged on a biennial basis (two-year period) and can be paid up to a maximum of ten years.

How soon can I start using my domain name?

Once the Registry System has been updated, the information in our database is shared with the Internet's zone files worldwide. This sharing process is called 'propagation', because the new information about your Domain Name spreads or propagates across the Internet. The zone files are propagated frequently, every few hours. We cannot control the rate at which the millions of servers on the Internet are updated, but generally your domain should be available to Internet users within a very short period.

Can I change the domain name?

Once a domain has been registered, its name can not be modified.

Why must I update registered data?

From time to time it is necessary to reach a contact person for the domain. This could be due to technical problems or disputes. In these situations, it is vital that the contact data is up to date. As the domain name holder, you are responsible for keeping your contact information updated.

In which cities do you have offices?

PKNIC office is located in Lahore. PKNIC has no other offices or outlets in the country. Please note that any appointed resellers or agents are independent companies with whom PKNIC has no financial ownership affiliation or partnership.

Do you provide web hosting services?

PKNIC does not provide any website or email hosting services. PKNIC is responsible for the operation of the .PK root servers and thus enabling the registered .pk domains on the internet.
More questions?

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