Is Codeine legal in Pakistan?
- Legal status
- Codeine is a controlled substance under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997; it sits below the capital tier. Pakistan removed the death penalty from CNSA s.9 via the 2022 amendment (in force 2023), so codeine is not death-eligible; the ceiling is life imprisonment.
- Consequences if caught
- Section 9 penalties are graduated by quantity up to life; codeine is not death-eligible.
- If prescribed or medical
- Dispensed as a controlled prescription medicine.
- 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 →