The move come after India imposed a ban on the import of goods coming from or transiting through Pakistan and also the entry of Pakistani ships into its ports.
Pakistan has banned Indian flag carriers from using its ports, following New Delhi’s imposition of new punitive measures, including, a ban on the import of goods from or transiting through Pakistan and the exclusion of Pakistani ships from Indian ports.
It is pertinent to mention that India on Saturday imposed a ban on the import of goods coming from or transiting through Pakistan and also the entry of Pakistani ships into its ports even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country is committed to take ‘firm and decisive’ action against terrorists and their backers.
The decision was made amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan after the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. Since the April 22 attack, India has taken several stringent measures against Pakistan, including the revocation of visas for Pakistani nationals, suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and other diplomatic steps.
What did Pakistan say in its order?
Pakistan late Saturday ordered that any “Indian flag carriers shall not be allowed to visit any Pakistani port”, Dawn, a Pakistani newspaper, reported.
“In view of the recent development of maritime situation with neighbouring country, Pakistan in order to safeguard maritime sovereignty, economic interest and national security enforces following measures with immediate effect: Indian flag carriers shall not be allowed to visit any Pakistani port, Pakistani flag carriers shall not visit any Indian port (and) any exemption or dispensation shall be examined and decided on case to case basis,” the newspaper reported.
The Dawn newspaper had quoted an order issued late Saturday by Pakistan’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs’ Ports and Shipping Wing.
India-Pakistan ties
Relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.
In response to heightened tensions, India introduced new punitive measures against Pakistan, including an immediate suspension of mail and parcel exchanges via air and surface routes. Additionally, India banned the entry of Pakistani ships into its ports and prohibited Indian vessels from visiting Pakistani ports, as per the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS). The restrictions were put into place with immediate effect, officials said.
India also imposed a full ban on the import of goods from Pakistan, citing national security and public policy concerns. While a 200 per cent import duty on Pakistani goods had already effectively halted direct imports since the 2019 Pulwama attack, this new decision further extends the prohibition to Pakistani goods routed through third countries.
These actions followed India’s previous punitive measures, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, closing the Attari land border crossing, and downgrading diplomatic ties after the Pahalgam attack.
In a related development, the Pakistan Army announced the successful test launch of the Abdali Weapon System, a 450 km range surface-to-surface missile, aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of its troops. Indian officials, however, described the missile test as a provocative move.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police, acting on a tip-off, searched a flight from Chennai arriving in Colombo, suspecting that one of the attackers involved in the Pahalgam incident might be aboard. Indian authorities have identified four terrorists, including two Pakistani nationals, as the perpetrators of the attack.
(With PTI inputs)
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