Alcohol regulations in Pakistan

Rules differ below national level. See each one:

• Balochistan
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
• Punjab (Pakistan)
• Sindh

Licences needed

Distillery License for manufacture of rectified spirit and potable distilled spirits (PMFL); bonded warehouse license; special authorization under the Prohibition Order 1979

Authority

Provincial Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Departments (e.g., Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan)

Documents

Factory and still engineering schematics, land title/lease registry, environmental clearance (EPA NOC), local police/security background clearance, memorandum and articles of association, and revenue bonds

Fees

Prescribed by provincial revenue and excise rules (includes initial license fees, security deposits, and annual renewal assessments; not uniform nationally)

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Who can import

Commercial importation of alcoholic beverages and spirits (HS 2208) is banned under Appendix-A of the national Import Policy Order. Only accredited diplomatic missions, consular corps, and privileged international agencies are allowed to import via licensed diplomatic bonded warehouses.

Licences or registrations

Diplomatic Bond License / Duty-Free Import Authorization from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Pakistan Customs

Authority

Ministry of Commerce, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) / Pakistan Customs, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Documents

Diplomatic duty-free exemption certificate (indent), bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, and Goods Declaration (GD) processed through WeBOC

Fees

Exempt from basic customs duties under Vienna Convention quotas; standard customs clearance processing fees apply

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Required

no

Process

No civilian brand or label registration system exists for imported commercial spirits because commercial import and retail distribution are prohibited. Domestic manufacturers register product labels and formulations directly with their respective Provincial Excise and Taxation Departments and protect trademarks through the Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan (IPO-Pakistan).

Authority

Provincial Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Departments; IPO-Pakistan

Documents and samples

not confirmed

Fees

not confirmed

Renewal

not confirmed

Time to obtain

not confirmed

Commercial import of all alcoholic beverages and spirits (HS Chapter 22) is prohibited under Appendix-A of the Import Policy Order. Alcohol import in passenger baggage is strictly banned; undeclared bottles are confiscated and declared bottles are held in customs custody until the passenger's departure. Authorized diplomatic imports require diplomatic exemption certificates, quota allocations via MOFA, and clearance through designated customs dry ports or bonded warehouses under customs seal.

Statutory Customs Duty is 90% ad valorem on spirits under HS heading 2208 (including 2208.2000, 2208.3000, 2208.4000, 2208.5000, 2208.6000, and 2208.9000) under the Pakistan Customs Tariff, applicable only where statutory imports or special regulatory dispensations apply.

General Sales Tax (GST) is standard 18%; domestic PMFL spirits are subject to provincial Still Head Duty (e.g., Punjab levies PKR 1,380 per London Proof (L.P.) Gallon) plus provincial Vend Fees (e.g., Punjab levies PKR 2,875 per L.P. Gallon or PKR 480 per quart bottle).

Alcohol sale and consumption are strictly banned for Muslims (over 97% of the population) under criminal penalty. Non-Muslim Pakistani citizens and non-Muslim foreign visitors can buy limited quotas via provincial personal permits (e.g., Form PR-I/PR-II) from licensed vendors: authorized 4-star and 5-star hotel bars/shops and licensed minority retail vend shops (mainly in Sindh). Monthly personal quotas are typically capped at 5 to 6 quart bottles of spirits or 100 bottles of beer. Outlets are restricted in operating hours and closed on Fridays and during Ramadan.

banned; e-commerce sale, mail order, and home delivery of alcohol are illegal under the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order, 1979 and provincial excise rules.

Locally produced spirits (PMFL) must bear bottles marked with brand name, batch number, alcohol percentage (% ABV), volume, distillery details, and mandatory declarations such as 'For Non-Muslim Consumption Only / Excisable Article'. Bottles must carry provincial excise paper stamps/seals before release from distillery bonded warehouses.

Banned across all media. The PEMRA Code of Conduct 2015 (Clause 14(4)) explicitly prohibits any broadcast of advertisements for alcoholic beverages on television and radio. Outdoor billboards, cinema ads, print media, sponsorships, and digital advertising of alcohol are strictly banned under national censorship and morality laws.

Domestically manufactured PMFL spirits (whisky, gin, rum, vodka, brandy) follow provincial excise manufacturing specifications and standards aligned with historical British standards, typically bottled at 42.8% ABV (75° British Proof / 25° Under Proof). Potable alcohol standards are overseen by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) and provincial food authorities, but commercial marketing of foreign spirits is banned.

All public places nationwide are completely dry. Alcohol consumption and possession are totally prohibited for Muslim citizens throughout Pakistan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and most secondary towns have virtually no legal retail outlets; permitted retail is restricted to designated high-end hotels in Islamabad, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, and authorized licensed shops and hotels in Karachi and parts of Sindh.

• Reaffirmed the commercial import ban on alcoholic beverages (HS 2208) in updated iterations and schedules of the Import Policy Order through 2025-2026.
• Operationalized policy adjustments allowing domestic licensed alcohol producers (e.g., Murree Brewery) to export spirits and beer directly to non-OIC international markets.

There are virtually no commercial market access opportunities for foreign spirit exporters due to a blanket statutory import prohibition on alcoholic beverages under Pakistan's Import Policy Order. Legal sales are restricted entirely to supplying duty-free quotas for accredited foreign diplomatic missions and international consular corps.

• Federal Board of Revenue (Customs Wing)
• Ministry of Commerce
• Punjab Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control Department
• Sindh Excise, Taxation & Narcotics Control Department
• Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)

1. Pakistan Customs Tariff (PCT) Chapter 22 - Federal Board of Revenue
2. Pakistan Trade Information Portal - Banned Items under Import Policy Order 2022 (tipp.gov.pk)
3. Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order, 1979 - Pakistan Law Site
4. Liquor Permits and Excise Rules - Punjab Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department
5. Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015 - Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)
6. Pakistan Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) - USDA