India announced on Saturday a sweeping ban on imports from Pakistan and barred Pakistani-flagged ships from entering its ports, as hostilities between the two nuclear-armed neighbours intensified following a deadly militant attack in Kashmir.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade issued a notification declaring that the ban would take effect immediately.
“This restriction is imposed in the interest of national security and public policy,” the notification stated.
The measures follow a recent attack in the Pahalgam area of the Kashmir valley, where suspected militants killed at least 26 people at a popular mountain tourist destination. The region, which has long been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan, remains a heavily militarized and politically sensitive area.
India has directly accused Pakistan of being involved in the attack — an allegation Islamabad strongly denies. In turn, Pakistan claims to have “credible intelligence” that India may be planning military action.
In response, Pakistan has already halted border trade, closed its airspace to Indian carriers, expelled Indian diplomats, and issued stern warnings about water rights. Islamabad cautioned that any attempt by India to disrupt the flow of river water governed by a longstanding treaty would be viewed as an act of war.
Further escalating tensions, India’s Directorate General of Shipping announced that no Pakistani-flagged ship would be allowed to call at Indian ports. Similarly, Indian-flagged vessels are now prohibited from docking at Pakistani ports.
“This order is issued to ensure the safety of Indian assets, cargo, and connected infrastructure, in public interest and for the interest of Indian shipping,” the shipping authority stated.
Trade between India and Pakistan has steadily declined in recent years, and these latest measures mark a significant deepening of the diplomatic and economic rift.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.