India Imposes Blanket Ban on Imports from Pakistan Following Pahalgam Terror Attack

 New Delhi – In a sweeping escalation of diplomatic and economic measures, the Government of India has officially prohibited the direct or indirect import of all goods originating from Pakistan, citing national security concerns. The decision, formalised in a notification issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on May 2, comes in the wake of the deadly April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

The Ministry’s notification stated: “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.” The restriction has been incorporated into the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 framework. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) affirmed that the move is intended to safeguard national security and uphold public policy interests. Any exception will require explicit approval from the Government of India.

The latest trade embargo follows the closure of the Wagah-Attari border—the only operational trade route between India and Pakistan—immediately after the Pahalgam massacre, where terrorists linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba opened fire on a group of civilians, killing at least 26 people, including foreign nationals. The Resistance Front (TRF), a known Lashkar proxy, initially claimed responsibility before retracting amid global condemnation.

In response to the attack, India has moved swiftly to downgrade bilateral ties. The government has suspended key accords, including the Indus Waters Treaty, reduced diplomatic staff at the Pakistani High Commission, expelled Pakistani military attaches, revoked all Pakistani visas—including those issued on medical grounds—and issued a deadline for all Pakistani nationals residing in India to return.

Additionally, India has imposed strict aviation restrictions. On May 2, a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was issued, denying Indian airspace to all Pakistan-registered aircraft, including those operated, owned, or leased by Pakistani commercial and military entities. The directive is effective until May 23.

The ban has forced Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the country’s flag carrier, to reroute several of its flights—such as those to Kuala Lumpur—via Chinese airspace, increasing both flight time and operational costs.

While trade between India and Pakistan had already dwindled following the revocation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, the new measures represent a significant and formalised severance of remaining commercial links. Pakistan, for its part, has reciprocated with its own set of retaliatory steps, including suspending diplomatic engagement and closing its airspace to Indian carriers.

These developments signal a further deepening of the rift between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, with no signs of immediate diplomatic de-escalation.