India has announced a sweeping ban on imports from Pakistan and prohibited Pakistani-flagged ships from docking at its ports, intensifying diplomatic and economic tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours following a deadly militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir.
In an official notification issued today, India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade said the ban on goods originating from or transiting via Pakistan would take immediate effect. The directive cited “national security and public policy” concerns as the basis for the move.
The development comes days after at least 26 people were killed in a brutal attack on tourists in the Pahalgam region of Jammu and Kashmir. Indian authorities have blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault, though Islamabad has denied any involvement.
The Kashmir region — a long-disputed territory claimed in full by both India and Pakistan — has been a flashpoint for decades, sparking three wars and a protracted insurgency. The latest attack has further inflamed tensions, with both countries exchanging sharp warnings in recent days.
Pakistan responded by halting all bilateral border trade, closing its airspace to Indian aircraft, and expelling Indian diplomats. Islamabad also claimed it had “credible intelligence” suggesting that New Delhi was planning military action, though India has not officially confirmed any such intent.
Adding to the standoff, Pakistan has warned that any disruption to water flows under the Indus Waters Treaty — a key agreement brokered in 1960 to share river water — would be viewed as an act of war.
India further escalated its position by barring all Pakistani-flagged vessels from entering its ports and instructing Indian ships to avoid docking at any Pakistani ports. A statement from the Directorate General of Shipping said the directive was necessary to “ensure safety of Indian assets, cargo and connected infrastructure.”
While trade between the two countries has already been minimal in recent years due to strained diplomatic ties, today’s moves formalise a near-complete severing of commercial exchanges.
Observers fear the deteriorating situation could lead to broader instability in South Asia, as both nations remain at odds over their long-standing territorial dispute in Kashmir, now exacerbated by the latest violence and retaliatory measures.
