Is Barbiturates legal in Pakistan?
- Legal status
- Barbiturates are Schedule-I psychotropic substances under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997 (penalties under s.9(2)) — the barbiturate class transposing the 1971 Convention as prescription-controlled psychotropics.
- Consequences if caught
- Section 9(2) penalties are graduated by quantity, topping out at not-less-than-life for very large amounts — there is NO death tier at any quantity (Pakistan removed the death penalty from CNSA s.9 via Act XXXVIII of 2023). Barbiturates are not death-eligible.
- If prescribed or medical
- Phenobarbital is dispensed as a controlled antiepileptic (a WHO Essential Medicine); the sedative-hypnotic barbiturates are tightly controlled.
- Documentation
- Carry a prescription and original packaging; declare controlled medicines.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Pakistan’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →