Yes, you can smoke at Pakistan’s main airports. Islamabad (ISB) keeps enclosed smoking areas on Level 3 of international and domestic departures after security, open to every passenger, and a smoking room in each of its lounges; Karachi (KHI) has smoking rooms inside the airside Majestic and Marhaba lounges; Lahore (LHE) is outdoor-only, on the landside forecourt. The general terminals are smoke-free under the 2002 ordinance, which is why the indoor provision sits in marked rooms rather than the concourses.
The three airports that matter for international travel are Karachi (KHI), Islamabad (ISB) and Lahore (LHE).
How Pakistani Airport Smoking Works
Pakistan’s Prohibition of Smoking Ordinance 2002 makes public places smoke-free, and a 2009 amendment removed the allowance for designated smoking rooms — so legally the terminals should be 100% smoke-free. In practice:
- Islamabad has enclosed Level-3 smoking areas after security in both international and domestic departures (no lounge ticket needed), plus a smoking room in every lounge
- Karachi has smoking rooms inside certain airside lounges (Majestic, Marhaba); the terminal is smoke-free with a Rs 1,000 fine (2023 CAA ban)
- Lahore is outdoor-only — no indoor or airside smoking
- Vaping is legal to possess; confine it to the designated smoking areas
The Hubs
Islamabad International Airport (ISB). The capital gateway, opened in 2018. Enclosed smoking areas sit on Level 3 after security — two in international departures (East Pier and the North-West side) and one in domestic departures beside the B5/B6 lounge — and need no lounge ticket. Every lounge, including the international CIP / Airline Lounge upstairs past immigration, has its own smoking room; the open-air forecourt covers landside.
Jinnah International Airport (KHI), Karachi. The largest airport in Pakistan. Smoking after immigration is via the Majestic and Marhaba lounge smoking rooms (by pass); the general terminal is smoke-free with a Rs 1,000 fine.
Allama Iqbal International Airport (LHE), Lahore. Outdoor-only — smoke at the landside kerb before security; the airside lounges are non-smoking.
Other Pakistani Airports
Away from the three main gateways, Pakistan’s smaller regional airports permit open-air smoking landside under the same enclosed-places ordinance; none publishes an indoor or airside smoking room. Multan International Airport’s open-air landside option, with no indoor or lounge smoking room, Peshawar Bacha Khan Airport’s open-air landside option, whose own FAQ confirms it offers no indoor smoking area, and the privately run Sialkot Airport’s open-air landside option, with no smoking room in its detailed facilities page or the Iqbal CIP Lounge are all landside-only, with no facility confirmed after security.
Tips for Smokers at Pakistani Airports
- Islamabad’s Level-3 smoking areas after security are open to all passengers — no lounge ticket required
- At Karachi, lounge access (Majestic or Marhaba, past immigration) is the way to smoke after security
- Lahore is outdoor-only — plan to smoke before security
- The general terminals are smoke-free; Karachi enforces a Rs 1,000 fine
- Vaping is legal to carry; use the designated smoking areas and never vape onboard
Pakistan Airports Compared: Indoor, Outdoor & After Security
| Airport | After security | Indoor room | Outdoor area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Islamabad International Airport (ISB) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Jinnah International Airport (KHI) | Yes | Yes | – |
| Allama Iqbal International Airport (LHE) | – | – | Yes |
| Smoking at Multan Airport – MUX | – | – | Yes |
| Smoking at Peshawar Bacha Khan Airport – PEW | – | – | Yes |
| Smoking at Sialkot Airport – SKT | – | – | Yes |