# eSIM for Pakistan

Viasimo's Pakistan eSIM starts at $1.29 for 100 MB over 7 days, running on Jazz with 4G LTE where available. Plans last 1 to 180 days, arrive by email in minutes and install from your phone's settings, with no app.

Canonical page: https://viasimo.com/destinations/pakistan/

## Pakistan eSIM prices

| Plan | Data | Days | Price | Price per GB |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 500 MB, 1 day | 500 MB | 1 | $1.59 | $3.26 |
| 1 GB, 1 day | 1 GB | 1 | $1.79 | $1.79 |
| 2 GB, 1 day | 2 GB | 1 | $2.79 | $1.40 |
| 10 GB, 1 day | 10 GB | 1 | $6.99 | $0.70 |
| Unlimited, 3 days | Unlimited | 3 | $6.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 5 days | Unlimited | 5 | $11.99 | - |
| 100 MB, 7 days | 100 MB | 7 | $1.29 | $13.21 |
| 500 MB, 7 days | 500 MB | 7 | $1.59 | $3.26 |
| 1 GB, 7 days | 1 GB | 7 | $2.00 | $2.00 |
| Unlimited, 7 days | Unlimited | 7 | $14.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 10 days | Unlimited | 10 | $20.99 | - |
| 2 GB, 15 days | 2 GB | 15 | $3.00 | $1.50 |
| 3 GB, 15 days | 3 GB | 15 | $4.29 | $1.43 |
| Unlimited, 15 days | Unlimited | 15 | $29.99 | - |
| 3 GB, 30 days | 3 GB | 30 | $4.59 | $1.53 |
| 5 GB, 30 days | 5 GB | 30 | $6.99 | $1.40 |
| 10 GB, 30 days | 10 GB | 30 | $11.99 | $1.20 |
| 20 GB, 30 days | 20 GB | 30 | $21.99 | $1.10 |
| Unlimited, 30 days | Unlimited | 30 | $53.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 60 days | Unlimited | 60 | $109.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 90 days | Unlimited | 90 | $159.99 | - |
| Unlimited, 180 days | Unlimited | 180 | $319.99 | - |

## Which networks does the Pakistan eSIM use?

- **Jazz**: 4G LTE

Your eSIM picks one automatically; you do not choose or switch between them.

The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM. Verified October 30, 2026.

## eSIM Details

- **Data**: 100 MB – 20 GB or unlimited
- **Validity**: 1–180 days
- **Speed**: 4G LTE
- **Hotspot / tethering**: Supported on most devices
- **Activation**: Automatic on arrival
- **Speed management**: Roughly 2-3 GB per day at full speed, sometimes less depending on the local carrier, then reduced
- **Top-ups**: Add more data from your account, before the plan expires
- **Text messages (SMS)**: Data only: use an app for verification codes
- **Connects via**: United Kingdom
- **Unused validity**: 180 days before it must be installed

## Pakistan: what to know before you land

Source: https://viasimo.com/destinations/pakistan/#destination-guide · Researched October 2026 by Viasimo

Your eSIM in Pakistan runs on Jazz, the largest operator, with about 75 million subscribers in regulator figures. The bigger variable is policy rather than signal: mobile services were suspended nationwide on election day in February 2024, and X was blocked from February 2024 until May 2025. In the north, Skardu Airport and the 4,693 m Khunjerab Pass bring their own planning needs.

### Pakistan: quick facts

| Fact | Pakistan |
| --- | --- |
| Emergency number | Police 15, Rescue 1122, ambulance 115, fire 16 |
| Main airports | Jinnah International Airport, Karachi (KHI); Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore (LHE); Islamabad International Airport (ISB); Skardu International Airport (KDU) |
| Plug types | Type C, D, G, M (230V) |
| Currency | Pakistani rupee (PKR) |
| Apps worth having | WhatsApp, Careem, inDrive, Bykea, JazzCash, Google Maps |

### Election-day shutdowns and the 2024–25 X block

(Pakistan · https://viasimo.com/destinations/pakistan/#guide-election-day-shutdowns-and-the-2024-25-x-block)

Pakistan's authorities have restricted mobile internet and specific platforms several times in recent years, and visitors should plan for it.

- **8 February 2024**: mobile services were shut down nationwide on general election day, with the government citing security concerns.
- **February 2024 to May 2025**: **X (formerly Twitter)** was blocked. The interior ministry told the Islamabad High Court in April 2024 that the block was for national security; access stayed patchy and depended on the internet provider, and many users turned to VPNs. Access returned in early May 2025 without an official announcement.
- **November 2024**: **Bluesky** was banned.

Reports also describe a national filtering system able to block very large numbers of sessions at once, so speeds and access to particular services can vary by provider and by day.

A travel eSIM uses local networks, so it is subject to the same restrictions as a Pakistani SIM. What helps:

- Save bookings, tickets, maps and important contacts offline before you travel.
- Agree a backup way to reach your hosts and drivers, such as both WhatsApp and a phone call via your home SIM.
- Keep an eye on the news around elections, major religious holidays and large protests, when suspensions are more likely.

### Jazz, Telenor, Zong and Ufone: who carries Pakistan's data

(Pakistan · https://viasimo.com/destinations/pakistan/#guide-jazz-telenor-zong-and-ufone-who-carries-pakistan-s-data)

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority figures from around 2022 give a clear ranking:

- **Jazz**: about 75 million subscribers, the market leader. This is the network your eSIM uses, on 4G/LTE.
- **Telenor**: about 49 million.
- **Zong**: about 45 million.
- **Ufone**: about 23 million.

That adds up to roughly 194 million mobile subscribers, with about 115 million on 3G or 4G at the time. About 90% of Pakistanis live within mobile coverage areas, which also tells you where the gaps are: thinly populated mountain valleys, deserts and border districts make up much of the remaining 10% of people and a much larger share of the land.

The infrastructure behind the networks is shared more than visitors might assume. Jazz sold its 10,500 towers to Engro Connect for US$560 million, and the country has around 50,000 telecom towers in total. In practice, coverage is strongest in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi and along the motorway network, and less predictable once you head into Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral or interior Balochistan.

Because your eSIM is data only, use WhatsApp or other apps for local calls, and keep your home SIM switched on for bank security codes.

### Flying into Skardu (KDU) and driving to the Khunjerab Pass

(Pakistan · https://viasimo.com/destinations/pakistan/#guide-flying-into-skardu-kdu-and-driving-to-the-khunjerab-pass)

Two northern gateways have changed how visitors reach Gilgit-Baltistan.

**Skardu Airport (KDU)**, at 2,225 m, was designated an international airport on **2 December 2021**. PIA flies there from Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Dubai, Airblue from Islamabad and Lahore, and AirSial from Islamabad. Mountain flying is weather-dependent, so keep data on the day before and the morning of departure to catch rescheduling messages, and save your booking reference offline.

**The Khunjerab Pass**, at **4,693 m** on the Karakoram Highway, is the border crossing with China. Its season is limited:

- Heavy vehicles are generally stopped from **30 November to 1 May**.
- All vehicles are generally stopped from **30 December to 1 April**, although late snow can shift these dates and clearing can take weeks.
- Pakistani customs and immigration are at **Sost**, about 75 km before the pass, and there is a national park checkpoint at **Dih**, about 42 km from the top.

The Pakistani side has what is billed as the world's highest ATM, run by National Bank of Pakistan and linked to UnionPay and 1LINK. Do not plan around it. Take cash from Gilgit or Karimabad and download your route before leaving Sost.

### Sources for the Pakistan guide

- [Telecommunications in Pakistan – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications_in_Pakistan)
- [Internet censorship in Pakistan – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Pakistan)
- [Khunjerab Pass – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khunjerab_Pass)
- [Skardu International Airport – Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skardu_International_Airport)

## Seven days in Pakistan: Lahore, Islamabad and the Hunza valley

7-day itinerary · 7 days · Source: https://viasimo.com/destinations/pakistan/#itinerary

A week for travellers comfortable with some uncertainty: Mughal Lahore and the Wagah ceremony, Islamabad and Taxila, then a mountain flight to Gilgit and three days in the Hunza valley on the Karakoram Highway, avoiding every area the UK advises against.

**When to go:** April to May and September to October are best for combining the plains and the mountains; Lahore is extremely hot from May to August, and northern flights and roads are most disrupted by snow and cloud in winter.

### Day 1 in Pakistan: Lahore: the Walled City

- **Base:** Lahore
- **Getting there:** Allama Iqbal International Airport is about 30 minutes by road from the Walled City; use Careem or a hotel transfer.
- **Plan:** Start at Lahore Fort, a UNESCO site, with its Sheesh Mahal mirror palace and the Picture Wall, then cross to the Badshahi Mosque, one of the largest Mughal mosques. Walk into the Walled City through Delhi Gate to the Wazir Khan Mosque, covered in tilework, and the restored Shahi Hammam bathhouse. In the evening, eat on the terraces of Food Street by the mosque.
- **Mobile signal:** Jazz 4G/LTE is strong across Lahore, but the narrow lanes of the Walled City can slow data at busy times.

### Day 2 in Pakistan: Shalimar Gardens and the Wagah ceremony

- **Base:** Lahore
- **Getting there:** Wagah is about 45 minutes by road from central Lahore; stay on the main road, as other areas near the Indian border are under UK travel restrictions.
- **Plan:** Visit the Shalimar Gardens, terraced Mughal gardens laid out by Shah Jahan, in the morning. Then see the Lahore Museum on The Mall, known for its Gandhara sculpture. In the afternoon, take a car to the Wagah border on the Grand Trunk Road for the evening flag-lowering ceremony between the Pakistani and Indian border guards. Arrive early and carry your passport.
- **Mobile signal:** Good 4G in Lahore. At Wagah, the crowds can overwhelm the network during the ceremony.

### Day 3 in Pakistan: To Islamabad: Faisal Mosque and the Margalla Hills

- **Base:** Islamabad
- **Getting there:** About four to five hours by road on the M2 motorway; buses and private cars both use it.
- **Plan:** Drive up the M2 motorway to Islamabad. Visit the Faisal Mosque, with its tent-like roof, below the Margalla Hills, then the Pakistan Monument and its museum. In the late afternoon, drive up to Daman-e-Koh or Pir Sohawa in the Margalla Hills National Park for views over the city at sunset. Stay away from any demonstrations in Islamabad or Rawalpindi.
- **Mobile signal:** 4G is good along the M2 motorway and strong across Islamabad.

### Day 4 in Pakistan: Taxila and the flight to Gilgit

- **Base:** Islamabad
- **Getting there:** About an hour each way by road to Taxila.
- **Plan:** Spend the morning at Taxila, a UNESCO site about 35 km from Islamabad, with the Buddhist monastery ruins at Jaulian and Dharmarajika and an excellent site museum of Gandhara art. Return to the city in time to prepare for an early flight north. Confirm your flight in the evening and keep your bag ready, as mountain flights are often rescheduled.
- **Mobile signal:** 4G at the Taxila museum and on the main road. Keep data on to receive any flight change messages from your airline.

### Day 5 in Pakistan: Gilgit to Karimabad, Hunza

- **Base:** Karimabad
- **Getting there:** The flight from Islamabad takes about an hour; Gilgit to Karimabad is about 2.5 hours by road.
- **Plan:** Take the morning flight to Gilgit, one of the world's most dramatic mountain approaches, then drive north on the Karakoram Highway to Karimabad, the main town of the Hunza valley. Stop at the Rakaposhi viewpoint on the way. In the afternoon, visit Baltit Fort above the town, then walk the irrigation channels to Altit Fort, the older of the two, with views over the valley.
- **Mobile signal:** Jazz coverage in Gilgit-Baltistan is thinner than in the cities. Expect 4G in Gilgit and Karimabad, with long gaps on the highway between them.

### Day 6 in Pakistan: Attabad Lake, Passu and the Hussaini bridge

- **Base:** Karimabad
- **Getting there:** Passu is about 1.5 hours from Karimabad on the Karakoram Highway.
- **Plan:** Drive up the valley to Attabad Lake, formed by a landslide in 2010, and take a boat out on its turquoise water. Continue to Gulmit and Passu to see the jagged Passu Cones, and walk carefully across the Hussaini suspension bridge over the Hunza river. Return to Karimabad and climb to the Eagle's Nest viewpoint at Duikar for sunset over Rakaposhi and Ultar.
- **Mobile signal:** Very patchy beyond Attabad; download offline maps and let your guide or hotel know your plans. Signal returns in Karimabad.

### Day 7 in Pakistan: Back to Gilgit and Islamabad

- **Base:** Islamabad
- **Getting there:** About 2.5 hours to Gilgit, then about an hour by air; if flights are cancelled, wait for the next one rather than driving the Karakoram Highway south of Chilas, which the UK advises against.
- **Plan:** Drive back down to Gilgit in time for your return flight to Islamabad. If the weather is clear and you have spare time, stop at the Kargah Buddha, a rock carving just outside Gilgit. Build at least one spare day into your plans before your international flight home, as northern flights are frequently cancelled.
- **Mobile signal:** Patchy on the highway, then 4G in Gilgit and Islamabad. Save your booking reference and airline contact details offline.

### Staying connected on this Pakistan route

- Mobile internet has been suspended nationwide before, so save bookings, maps and contacts offline and keep your home SIM active for calls.
- Register with local authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan as required, usually through your hotel or guide, and carry copies of your passport and visa.
- Install Careem or inDrive for Lahore and Islamabad, and download offline maps for the Hunza valley.

### Sources for the Pakistan itinerary

- [GOV.UK foreign travel advice: Pakistan](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/pakistan)
- [GOV.UK: Pakistan regional risks](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/pakistan/regional-risks)
- [UNESCO: Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/171)
- [UNESCO: Taxila](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/139)

## About this eSIM

Pakistan runs from the Arabian Sea up into the Karakoram, and your connection changes character over that distance: dense, busy mobile data in the cities, then long mountain roads where signal is something you plan around instead of assume. An eSIM settles the first half of that problem before you board, leaving only the second half to manage. Install it at home and you walk out of Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad arrivals with maps, WhatsApp and a ride app already running.

### Getting online when you land

Add the profile to your phone while you still have wifi at home. Installing is the step that needs a working connection; switching the line on afterwards does not. So load it, leave it turned off, fly, then enable it once the cabin doors open. Registration usually takes a minute or two while you shuffle toward immigration.

Three things are worth having live before you reach the kerb: a map, WhatsApp, and whichever ride app you intend to use. Both major airports have taxi desks, but arranging a pickup is far simpler when you can message your hotel or open an app than when you are negotiating cold with drivers outside the terminal. If nothing has connected after five minutes, flip airplane mode on and off once; that forces a fresh network scan and clears most stuck registrations.

### The networks you'll be on

Data here comes through Jazz, which operates 3G and 4G/LTE. LTE is the ceiling, so set expectations accordingly: it handles maps, messaging, voice and video calls over data, cloud photo backup and ordinary browsing without complaint, and it is not the connection for pulling down a full season of anything in your hotel room. Away from the big cities the handset frequently falls back to 3G. Audio calls over WhatsApp survive that fine; video calls get grainy and start freezing, so switch to voice when the bars drop.

### Where coverage holds, and where it thins

The urban belt is well served. Karachi has service almost everywhere you would go, and the same is true of Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan and Peshawar. The motorway corridor linking Islamabad, Lahore and Multan stays connected for most of the drive, as does the Grand Trunk Road and the built-up stretch of the Indus plain in between.

North of Islamabad the picture becomes valley-shaped. Along the Karakoram Highway you get service in and around the towns: Gilgit, Karimabad and Aliabad in Hunza, Skardu, Chilas. Between them, in the gorges and on the climbs, it comes and goes with the terrain, and it disappears outright on the high passes and the empty plateaus. Fairy Meadows, the Deosai plains, upper Chitral, the Kalash valleys and much of Baltistan beyond the main road should be treated as offline. Guesthouses up there often advertise wifi that is running on the same congested backhaul you are, so it will not rescue you.

The west is sparser again. Coverage clusters around Quetta and the towns on the main roads, with long empty gaps across interior Balochistan, and the Makran coastal highway toward Gwadar has stretches with nothing at all. The Thar desert in southern Sindh follows the same pattern: villages have signal, the dunes between them mostly do not.

### What you'll actually use data for here

WhatsApp does an enormous amount of work in Pakistan. Hotels confirm bookings on it, drivers send their location on it, tour operators in the north run their entire business through it, and a dropped pin sent in a chat is often a more reliable address than anything you could type into a search box. Keep it installed and keep notifications on.

Ride hailing covers the cities well, and having data means you see the fare before you get in rather than after. Maps are essential in the older bazaars of Lahore and Peshawar, where lanes are unnamed and the useful landmark is a shop rather than a street. Beyond that: checking road and weather conditions before any northern drive, since landslides close sections of the Karakoram Highway without much notice; looking up train and domestic flight status; and uploading photos each evening so a lost phone does not cost you the trip.

### Before you fly

Install the eSIM at home, then label the lines in your settings so you can tell at a glance which number is sending what. Leave your usual SIM in place for banking codes and calls from home, and set the eSIM as the data line so nothing accidentally roams on your primary number.

Download offline maps for the cities you are visiting and for the whole northern route if you are heading up the Karakoram Highway. Save your hotel confirmations and any permits as screenshots rather than links. Carry a power bank: electricity supply is patchy in a lot of the country and a hotel that loses power at night means a phone that did not charge. Finally, if you are travelling to restricted or border areas, check the current access situation with your operator before you set off, because network availability is the least of your problems out there.

## Frequently asked questions

### Does an eSIM work in Pakistan?

Yes. Your Pakistan eSIM connects automatically the moment you arrive, with no roaming fees and nothing to set up at the airport. The host networks it can use are Jazz. Coverage runs on 4G LTE. There is no 5G on our host network in Pakistan yet.

### Do I get 5G in Pakistan?

No. Jazz do not yet offer 5G to visitors in Pakistan, so your eSIM connects over 4G LTE or slower. Anyone claiming 5G for this destination is quoting a spec sheet, not the network you will actually get.

### Is X (Twitter) blocked in Pakistan?

It was blocked from February 2024 and access returned in early May 2025 without an official announcement. During the block, the interior ministry cited national security, access varied by internet provider, and many users relied on VPNs. Bluesky was banned in November 2024. Restrictions can return quickly, so keep important information offline as well.

### Does Pakistan shut down mobile internet?

Sometimes. Mobile services were suspended nationwide on election day, 8 February 2024, with the government citing security. A travel eSIM uses local networks and would be affected the same way as a local SIM. Save bookings and maps offline, and keep your home SIM active as a backup for calls around elections and large protests.

### Which is the biggest mobile network in Pakistan?

Jazz, with about 75 million subscribers in Pakistan Telecommunication Authority figures from around 2022, ahead of Telenor on about 49 million, Zong on about 45 million and Ufone on about 23 million. About 90% of Pakistanis live within mobile coverage, with the gaps concentrated in mountains, deserts and border districts.

### When is the Khunjerab Pass open?

Generally from spring to late autumn. Heavy vehicles are usually stopped from 30 November to 1 May, and all vehicles from 30 December to 1 April, though snow can shift these dates. Immigration is at Sost, about 75 km below the 4,693 m pass. Take cash and download your route before leaving Sost.

### How much data do I need for 7 days in Pakistan?

For 7 days in Pakistan, Viasimo sells 100 MB for $1.29, 500 MB for $1.59, 1 GB for $2.00, and unlimited data for $14.99. Our sizing recommendation, not a measurement: maps, messaging and the occasional lookup, about 1 GB a week; maps, social, photos and some browsing, about 3 to 7 GB a week. The data calculator on this site works it out from how you actually use your phone.

## Information and verification

- **Prices and plans**: Every price and allowance on this page is read from the live catalog, not typed in. Verified October 30, 2026.
- **Host networks**: The operator list comes from the network partner that carries this eSIM. Verified October 30, 2026.