After home captain Shan Masood had won the toss and opted to bat yet again, the visitors squandered a chance in the first over when Kagiso Rabada found the edge of opener Abdullah Shafique but Tristan Stubbs put it down in the slips.
The drop would prove to be costly as Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq added 35 for the opening partnership before off-spinner Simon Harmer made the breakthrough, bowling Imam with a peach of a delivery that beat the batter all ends up.
Masood and Shafique then buried down the hatches with the skipper the aggressive as the left-hander launched Harmer and left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy for sixes.
Shafique rode his luck and survived four dropped catches and a missed stumping to compile a patient 57 in a stand of 111 runs with his captain.
The opener was eventually dismissed when wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne took a catch down the leg-side off Harmer, the batter given out after the Proteas took a review.
Babar Azam came in and looked to take the attack to the bowlers, hitting three boundaries in his 16 before Keshav Maharaj removed the number four with Tony de Zorzi taking a brilliant one-handed grab at silly point.
Pakistan were in a strong position on 177-3 at the tea interval but Maharaj struck again after the break, getting rid of the dangerous Masood 13 runs short of his century.
The Proteas took the new ball late in the day and Rabada got one to nip in and trapped Mohammad Rizwan plumb in front for 19.
Saud Shakeel will resume on 42 and will be joined at the crease on the second day by Salman Agha, who is unbeaten on 10, with the Proteas looking for early wickets to not let the hosts get away on the scoreboard.
The home side just need a draw to clinch a series win after winning the first Test in Lahore.
The Proteas Women made it five consecutive victories at the ICC Women's World Cup after a comprehensive 150-run win (DLS method) against Pakistan in match that was shortened due to rain.
Tristan Stubbs made a welcome return to form as the Proteas went to stumps on 185-4 on the second day of the second Test against Pakistan, still trailing by 148 runs after bowling the hosts out for 333.
The Proteas Women have secured a spot in the ICC Women's World Cup semifinals after the game between New Zealand and Pakistan was abandoned because of rain in Colombo.
Temba Bavuma has been included in the South Africa A side for a first-class fixture next month to prove his fitness ahead of the Proteas' Test series in India.
