No docking, no departure: India bans Pakistani ships from ports amid rising tensions

India has barred Pakistani-flagged vessels from docking at its ports and prohibited Indian-flagged ships from visiting Pakistan, as tensions between the two countries escalate in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives last month. The decision, announced by the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways, took immediate effect on Friday.

Invoking Section 411 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, the ministry said the move aims to protect “Indian assets, cargo, and port infrastructure,” while serving the broader goals of national security and self-reliant maritime operations.

“The objective of the Act is to foster the development and ensure the efficient maintenance of an Indian mercantile marine, in a manner best suited to serve national interests,” the ministry said in its official notification.

According to the order, “a ship bearing the flag of Pakistan shall not be allowed to visit any Indian port, and an Indian-flagged ship shall not visit any ports of Pakistan.” The restrictions will remain in place until further notice, and exemptions, if any, will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

This maritime clampdown is the latest in a string of measures announced by the Indian government following the April 22 attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region, which has been linked to Pakistan-based terrorist outfits. India has already suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, closed the Integrated Check Post at Attari, and ordered a scale-down of diplomatic missions.

Separately, the Ministry of Commerce also imposed an immediate ban on the import or transit of all goods originating from or exported via Pakistan. A new clause in the Foreign Trade Policy 2023 now explicitly prohibits such trade, both direct and indirect, “until further orders.”

This comes after years of declining imports from Pakistan, which primarily included pharmaceuticals, dry fruits, and oilseeds. India had earlier imposed a 200 per cent duty on Pakistani imports following the Pulwama terror attack in 2019.

The closure of the Wagah-Attari crossing, the only road trade link between the two nations, underscores the extent of the diplomatic rupture, as both countries brace for prolonged geopolitical fallout.