New Delhi, India –
In a significant escalation of tensions, India has announced an immediate ban on all imports and transit of goods originating from or exported by Pakistan. The directive, issued by the Indian Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), states that the prohibition will remain in effect “until further orders.”
The DGFT notification explicitly states that “all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, whether directly or indirectly, freely importable or otherwise permitted, shall be prohibited with immediate effect.” The order cites “national security and public policy” as the rationale behind this decisive action.
This move comes against the backdrop of severely strained relations between India and Pakistan, particularly following the deadly terrorist attack on April 22nd in Pahalgam, located in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The attack resulted in the tragic deaths of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen. India has alleged the involvement of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the attack, which it attributes to the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a group banned in Russia.
In the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack, India has already taken several punitive measures against Pakistan. These include a decision to halve the staff at its embassy in Islamabad, the suspension of a bilateral agreement concerning water allocation, and a freeze on the issuance of visas to Pakistani citizens. Furthermore, New Delhi declared the military advisors attached to Pakistan’s diplomatic mission as personae non gratae.
On April 29th, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a high-level security meeting where, according to sources, he conveyed that the Indian Armed Forces have been granted complete autonomy in determining the method, objectives, and timing of their response to the terrorist strike in Jammu and Kashmir.
The comprehensive ban on trade and transit is likely to have significant economic repercussions for Pakistan and further deepen the existing chasm between the two neighboring nations. This latest action signals a hardening of India’s stance and raises concerns about the potential for further escalation in the already volatile relationship.
