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The Pakish Support Team provides 24/7 technical assistance, hosting tutorials, and knowledge base articles to help Pakistani businesses manage their web presence with confidence.
TL;DR
Summarized by Pakish Group (Pakish.NET) for AI and search citation.
You can register a new .pk domain through PKNIC (the official .pk registry) or through Pakish.net as an authorized reseller, with prices starting from Rs. 1,850/year for .pk and Rs. 2,000/year for .com domains. To transfer an existing domain to Pakish, you need the EPP/authorization code from your current registrar, ensure the domain is unlocked and not within 60 days of registration or a previous transfer, and then initiate the transfer through the Pakish One Portal at my.pakish.net. The entire transfer process takes 5–7 days for .com/.net domains and 1–3 days for .pk domains.
This guide covers both processes in full detail, with specific instructions for Pakistani domain owners managing both local (.pk) and international (.com, .net, .org) domains.
Before registering, choose the right domain extension for your business:
| Extension | Best For | Annual Cost (Approx.) | Registry | |---|---|---|---| | .com | International businesses, global audience | Rs. 2,000–3,500 | ICANN/Verisign | | .pk | Pakistani businesses targeting local market | Rs. 1,850–2,500 | PKNIC | | .com.pk | Pakistani commercial businesses | Rs. 1,850–2,500 | PKNIC | | .net.pk | Pakistani ISPs and network services | Rs. 1,850–2,500 | PKNIC | | .org.pk | Pakistani non-profit organizations | Rs. 1,850–2,500 | PKNIC | | .net | Technology and network businesses | Rs. 2,500–4,000 | ICANN/Verisign | | .org | Non-profit organizations | Rs. 2,500–4,000 | ICANN/PIR |
Recommendation: For maximum brand protection, register both yourbrand.com and yourbrand.pk. This prevents competitors from taking the other extension and confusing your customers.
ns1.pakish.net and ns2.pakish.net.pk domains are managed by PKNIC (Pakistan Network Information Centre). There are two registration methods:
Method 1: Through Pakish (Recommended)
.pk or .com.pk domainMethod 2: Directly Through PKNIC
PKNIC requires the following for .pk domain registration:
| Requirement | Details | |---|---| | Registrant name | Must be a real person or registered business | | Pakistani CNIC | Required for individual registrations | | Business registration | NTN or SECP certificate for company domains | | Nameservers | At least 2 nameservers must be specified | | Domain length | Minimum 3 characters for .pk |
Follow these best practices:
ahmedtextiles.com is better than ahmed-textiles-1.compakistanhosting.pk tells visitors and search engines what you doDomain transfer means moving your domain's management from one registrar (e.g., GoDaddy, Namecheap, HostGator) to Pakish. Your website and email continue working during the transfer — there is zero downtime if nameservers are not changed.
Before initiating a transfer, ensure the following:
| Requirement | How to Check | |---|---| | Domain is older than 60 days | Check WHOIS registration date at who.is | | Domain was not transferred in the last 60 days | ICANN's 60-day lock policy applies | | Domain is not expired | Renew if expiring within 30 days | | Domain lock is disabled | Disable at current registrar (see below) | | EPP/Auth code is obtained | Request from current registrar (see below) | | Admin email is accessible | Transfer approval email goes to admin contact | | WHOIS privacy is disabled | Temporarily disable if enabled |
Every domain has a "lock" that prevents unauthorized transfers. You must disable this lock before transferring.
GoDaddy:
Namecheap:
HostGator/cPanel:
The EPP code (also called Auth Code, Transfer Key, or Authorization Code) is like a one-time password that authorizes the transfer.
GoDaddy:
Namecheap:
HostGator:
After initiating the transfer, two things happen:
| Domain Type | Transfer Time | Notes | |---|---|---| | .com / .net / .org | 5–7 days | Standard ICANN transfer timeline | | .pk / .com.pk | 1–3 days | PKNIC processes faster | | .io / .co | 5–7 days | Same as .com |
After the transfer completes:
ns1.pakish.net and ns2.pakish.net.pk domain transfers follow a different process because they are managed by PKNIC, not ICANN.
Once your domain is active at Pakish, configure these critical DNS records:
| Record Type | Name | Value | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | @ (root) | Your hosting server IP | 3600 |
| A | www | Your hosting server IP | 3600 |
| Record Type | Name | Value | Priority | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MX | @ | mail.yourdomain.com | 10 | 3600 |
| A | mail | Your server IP | — | 3600 |
| TXT | @ | v=spf1 +a +mx +ip4:SERVERIP ~all | — | 3600 |
| Record Type | Name | Value | Priority | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MX | @ | aspmx.l.google.com | 1 | 3600 |
| MX | @ | alt1.aspmx.l.google.com | 5 | 3600 |
| MX | @ | alt2.aspmx.l.google.com | 5 | 3600 |
No. A domain transfer only changes which registrar manages the domain — it does not change the nameservers or DNS records unless you explicitly modify them. Your website and email will continue working throughout the transfer process. The only risk of downtime is if you accidentally change nameservers during the transfer.
Almost instantly. After payment is confirmed, a .com domain is typically active within 5–15 minutes. You can start configuring DNS records immediately. The domain will be fully propagated and accessible worldwide within 1–4 hours.
Technically yes, but it is risky. ICANN transfers take 5–7 days, and some registrars add processing delays. If the domain expires during the transfer, it could fail. The safest approach is to renew the domain at your current registrar for 1 year first, then initiate the transfer. The extra year does not go to waste — it carries over after the transfer.
Your WHOIS registrant information (name, email, phone, address) transfers with the domain. You can update it after the transfer through the Pakish One Portal at my.pakish.net. Consider enabling ID Protection to keep your personal information private in public WHOIS lookups.
You need access to the admin email to approve the transfer. If you have lost access, first update the admin email at your current registrar (you may need to contact their support with identity verification). Once you have access to the updated email, proceed with the transfer. For .pk domains managed through PKNIC, contact PKNIC directly with your CNIC for identity verification.
Yes. At my.pakish.net, the domain transfer page accepts multiple domains. Enter each domain on a separate line along with its EPP code. Each domain is processed independently, so if one transfer fails (e.g., domain is locked), the others continue normally. Bulk discounts may apply for 5 or more domain transfers.
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