Pakistan – Power plug, socket & mains voltage in Pakistan

What type of plugs and sockets are used in Pakistan?

When you are going on a trip to Pakistan, be sure to pack the appropriate travel plug adapter that fits the local sockets. But what do those electrical outlets look like? Pakistan has standardized on the type D plug and socket system which was the standard in Great Britain before 1947. Type C plugs are also very frequently used, since they come with most imported appliances. They are —more or less— compatible with type D sockets; the connection may be a bit unstable, but the combination works relatively well. Nowadays, most homes and hotels have universal sockets that are usable with many different types of plugs.

Background information

The ubiquitous Pakistan receptacle that accepts plug types A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I and O.

When electricity was introduced in Pakistan, it was still a British colony and consequently it adopted the then British plug and socket standard: type D. After Pakistan had achieved independence in 1947, it continued to use type D. Around that time, however, the United Kingdom (and its then colonies) started the transition to a new, safer plug standard (type G), which explains why former British colonies that gained their independence a decade or more after Pakistan use the current British standard.

Nowadays, when new sockets are installed, they are always universal ones that accommodate a wide range of plug types (mostly A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, M and O).

Click here for a global map showing the spread of the different plug types used around the world.

Click here for a detailed list of the countries of the world with their respective plug and outlet types, voltage and frequency.