Pakistan

Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking illegal drugs in Pakistan are severe, potentially including long prison sentences, heavy fines, and capital punishment.

Capital punishment possible.

Verified Jul 27, 2026

Cannabis is illegal in Pakistan, and possessing even a small amount is a criminal offence that carries a minimum prison sentence - there is no quantity treated as legal. Under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997 the lowest penalty band starts at no less than six months in prison for bhang and no less than ten months for charas (hashish), and bail is not normally granted. Pakistan did pass a Cannabis Control and Regulatory Authority Act in 2024, but it only licenses businesses to grow and process cannabis for medical and industrial products - it gives individuals no right to possess or use cannabis. The Act also reaches the people around the drugs: a 2022 amendment put handling or letting out premises for drug activity - including simple use or consumption - and harbouring people involved inside the statutory definition of illicit traffic, and running any premises, place, equipment or machinery to produce cannabis without a licence carries ten to twenty-five years.

Penalties are set by quantity under section 9 of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997, and every band carries a mandatory minimum prison term. Bhang: up to 999 grams - imprisonment which may extend to three years but shall not be less than six months, along with a fine which may be up to ten thousand rupees; 20,000 grams or more - up to life imprisonment but not less than fourteen years. Charas (cannabis resin or hashish): up to 499 grams - imprisonment which may extend to five years but shall not be less than ten months, along with a fine which may be up to forty thousand rupees; 10,000 grams or more - up to life imprisonment but not less than twenty years. Hashish oil or liquid hashish: up to 499 grams - imprisonment which may extend to seven years but shall not be less than fourteen months. Bail shall not normally be granted (section 51(2)); no remission, probation or parole is available (section 9A), and life imprisonment means twenty-five years. Owning, managing, operating or controlling any premises, place, equipment or machinery for the purpose of manufacturing or producing cannabis without a licence: not less than ten years, extending to twenty-five years, plus a fine of not less than one million rupees (sections 10 and 11). At trial the court may presume, unless the contrary is proved, that the accused committed an offence in respect of any narcotic drug, any cannabis plant growing on land he has cultivated, any apparatus specially designed for producing narcotics, or any production materials or residue for the possession of which he fails to account satisfactorily (section 29).

Verified Sep 16, 2026

Carry prescription medication in original packaging with your prescription; many common US medications are unavailable in Pakistan, and pseudoephedrine is strictly controlled and may be confiscated at the border.

Pseudoephedrine may be confiscated at the border.

Verified Jul 27, 2026

Do not pack any firearm, ammunition or weapon. Pakistan's Baggage Rules ban arms and ammunition from passenger baggage outright, with no tourist exception. The only lawful route for a foreign visitor is a hunting trip under a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Interior, arranged before you travel.

Under the Customs Act 1969 s.156(1) clause 9, goods imported "in violation of any prohibition or restriction on the importation ... imposed by or under this Act or any other law" — "Such goods shall be liable to confiscation; and any person concerned in the offence shall also be liable to a penalty not exceeding two times the value of the goods." Bringing goods into Pakistan in breach of a prohibition also falls within the statutory definition of "smuggle" at s.2(s).

Verified Sep 1, 2026

There is no cap on cash entering Pakistan; on exit adults (18+) may take a maximum of USD 5,000 per trip (USD 30,000/year) and minors (under 18) USD 2,500 per trip (USD 15,000/year).

Verified Jul 27, 2026

Drone use in Pakistan is restricted and drones may be confiscated by customs officials on arrival; GPS devices with tracking capabilities are not permitted in the country at all.

Drones may be confiscated by local customs officials.

Verified Jul 27, 2026

Bringing alcohol into Pakistan is illegal for residents, visitors, and tourists; even with approval, import is only permitted in limited situations, and travelers entering with alcohol face severe penalties.

Severe penalties for travelers caught with alcohol at entry.

Verified Jul 27, 2026

Pakistan has no federal law regulating vaping, individual provinces have attempted their own bans, and a national bill is still pending — the position is unsettled and can differ by province. E-liquids are federally taxed as an ordinary excisable commodity, so they are not customs contraband, but carry personal quantities only and check local rules before you vape in public.

Verified Sep 1, 2026

As a foreign tourist you may bring in 200 cigarettes OR 50 cigars OR half a kilogram of manufactured tobacco duty-free — one of the three, not all three, and only on your first visit of the calendar year. Sheesha (hookah) tobacco is a banned import at any quantity. Smoking is an offence in indoor public places and on public transport.

Smoking in a place of public work or use: fine up to PKR 1,000; on a second or subsequent offence, not less than PKR 1,000 and up to PKR 100,000 (Ordinance LXXIV of 2002, s.11(a)). Importing a banned item such as sheesha tobacco: goods liable to confiscation and a penalty "not exceeding two times the value of the goods" (Customs Act 1969, s.156(1) clause 9).

Verified Sep 1, 2026

Driving in Pakistan requires your home licence plus a 1968-Convention International Driving Permit (get it before you travel); traffic drives on the left, and DUI can mean jail time and harsh penalties.

Without the correct documents you can be detained and a police report registered in your name; DUI means jail time and harsh penalties.

Verified Jul 27, 2026

Photographing military buildings, cantonments and nuclear sites is illegal in Pakistan; also avoid airports, bridges, dams, other infrastructure and photos from aircraft — foreigners have been arrested on suspicion of spying. The law is vague and inconsistently applied.

Arrest on suspicion of espionage.

Verified Jul 27, 2026

Pakistan has disabled cellular and internet service during security incidents; tourists cannot buy a SIM at Islamabad airport (registration requires an in-person provider store visit), and tracking GPS devices are not permitted.

Verified Jul 27, 2026

Pakistani law prohibits same-sex sexual conduct; conviction carries a fine and imprisonment from 2 years to life, with no anti-discrimination protections.

2 years to life imprisonment.

Verified Jul 27, 2026

Insulting or disrespecting religion (blasphemy) is illegal in Pakistan, applies to public and private comments including social media, and can bring severe penalties including death plus public-violence risk; travelers have also been detained for posts critical of the government or military.

Blasphemy: death penalty possible; public-violence risk.

Verified Jul 27, 2026