Yes, you can smoke at Islamabad International Airport (ISB) after security — the airport keeps enclosed smoking areas on Level 3 of both the international and domestic departure piers, and every airport lounge has its own enclosed smoking room. Landside, you can also step outside the terminal before check-in.
Islamabad International opened in 2018 as Pakistan’s capital gateway, replacing the old Benazir Bhutto International. It works from a single integrated terminal handling both domestic and international traffic. The building is officially non-smoking under Pakistan’s Prohibition of Smoking and Protection of Non-Smokers Health Ordinance, so smoking is confined to the marked enclosed rooms below.
International Departures (After Security)
Once you are through immigration and the ASF search, the official airport site lists two designated smoking areas on Level 3: one on the East Pier (signed “Smoking Area No. 1”) and one on the North-West side of the international concourse. Both are enclosed indoor rooms; the open concourse, gates and food court are smoke-free. You do not need a lounge ticket to use them.
Domestic Departures
Domestic passengers have an enclosed smoking area on Level 3 (North-East), beside the B5/B6 departure lounge. It is the same arrangement — an enclosed indoor room, with the rest of the domestic hall smoke-free.
Airport Lounges
Every lounge at ISB has its own enclosed smoking area. The main international CIP / Airline Lounge, upstairs past immigration and the ASF search, has a smoking room “around the corner” that is open to lounge guests only (traveller review, May 2025). Lounge entry is complimentary in First and Business Class, or by walk-in fee, Priority Pass, or an eligible card, and opens roughly three hours before departure. If your fare doesn’t include lounge access, use the Level-3 pier smoking areas instead — they need no lounge ticket.
Landside (Before Security)
Before check-in you can smoke outdoors in the open-air forecourt and drop-off lanes in front of the terminal. Once you clear the ASF search you cannot return landside without re-screening, so if you plan to rely on the outdoor spots, finish before you go through.
Vaping
Vapes and e-cigarettes are legal to carry and use in Pakistan. Use them only in the marked smoking areas, keep devices in hand luggage rather than checked bags, and never vape on board. Travellers report that vaping is policed more tightly than cigarettes at ISB, so keep devices discreet and stick to the designated rooms.
Transit and Layovers
Because ISB runs from one integrated terminal, international transit passengers stay airside and can use the Level-3 international smoking areas or a lounge smoking room without clearing immigration. If a layover means re-checking bags landside, you will pass the outdoor forecourt on the way. Allow a few extra minutes — the smoking areas sit at the ends of Level 3, not beside every gate.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| International departures, Level 3 (East Pier + North-West) | Yes | Enclosed indoor areas after security — official; no lounge ticket needed |
| Domestic departures, Level 3 (North-East) | Yes | Enclosed indoor area by the B5/B6 lounge — official |
| Airport lounges (incl. CIP / Airline Lounge) | Yes | Enclosed smoking room in each; lounge access required |
| Outdoor (landside) | Yes | Open-air forecourt and drop-off lanes before check-in |
For Pakistan’s airport smoking rules and vaping law, see our Pakistan airport guide.