In a hard-hitting move after the Pahalgam terror attack, India has announced a blanket ban on all imports from Pakistan as it toughened its position against cross-border terrorism. The Ministry of Commerce gave an official notice on Friday by stating that the ban is levied in the interest of public policy and national security.
“Direct or indirect Import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, whether or not freely importable or otherwise permitted, shall be prohibited with immediate effect, until further orders. This restriction is imposed in the interest of national security and public policy. Any exception to this prohibition shall require prior approval of the Government of India,” the ministry said in its notification.
Direct or indirect Import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, whether or not freely importable or otherwise permitted, shall be prohibited with immediate effect. pic.twitter.com/KBamc3DhdW
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2025
This is following the April 22 fatal terror attack on Jammu and Kashmir’s picturesque Baisaran meadow, killing 26 civilians. Killed were a Nepalese visitor and a local pony guide operator who was local. India has blamed Pakistan-based terrorists for the massacre, raising tensions between the two nations.
Border Trade, Visas, and Treaties Under Scrutiny
Authorities sealed the Wagah-Attari border, the only functional trade corridor between the two countries, immediately after the attack. The import ban adds further to the diplomatic and economic divide.
India also suspended the Indus Water Treaty after the terror attack, a 1960 treaty between the two countries for sharing river waters. India mentioned “sustained cross-border terrorism” as the cause of the suspension. The action could result in a serious blow to Pakistan’s water supply system, which may hit tens of millions of residents depending on the Indus River system.
India also revoked all the visas granted to Pakistani citizens, including medical visas, and asked all Pakistani nationals who were in India at the time to depart within a given timeframe.
Pakistan retaliated by threatening to pull out of all the bilateral agreements between it and India, including the historic Simla Agreement, which has been the basis of peaceful talks between the two countries.
Diplomatic Fallout Continues
India-Pakistan relations have acutely worsened since the Pahalgam attack. Both nations have reduced their diplomatic interactions, fueling fears of long-term regional instability further.
India’s imposition of a ban on imports from Pakistan is a major escalation of its campaign to isolate Islamabad diplomatically and economically, following heightened security concerns.
