Is Methadone legal in Pakistan?
- Legal status
- Methadone is a Schedule-I controlled narcotic under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997 (s.9); the 2022 amendment (in force 2023) removed the death penalty from s.9 — methadone is not death-eligible, the ceiling being life imprisonment.
- Consequences if caught
- Section 9 penalties are graduated by quantity up to not-less-than-life for the largest amounts; the death tier was repealed in 2023.
- If prescribed or medical
- Dispensed as a controlled prescription medicine (OST availability limited).
- 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 →