No entry for Pakistani ships in India following Pahalgam terror attack.
India has imposed a blanket ban on Pakistani ships arriving in India on the grounds of ⁹growing tensions with Pakistan in the wake of the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam and on Saturday banned the entry of Pakistani ships at Indian ports, while also barring Indian ships from visiting Pakistani ports, according to an order issued by India’s maritime authority Directorate General of Shipping (DGS).
According to the DGS order, the restrictions were put in place “with immediate effect” and “till further order” to ensure safety of “Indian assets, cargo and connected infrastructure, in public interest and for interest of Indian shipping.
The order further added that in exercise of power conferred by section 411 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 read with objectives as enshrined under Preamble of the said Act, keeping in view of the present situation, the following directions are hereby issued: A ship bearing the flag of Pakistan shall not be allowed to visit any Indian Port. An Indian flag ship shall not visit any Ports of Pakistan.
Section 411 of the Merchant Shipping Act empowers the DGS to issue directions to ships, for meeting the objective of national interest or the interest of Indian shipping.
The Act deals with Indian flag ships anywhere in the world and foreign flag ships while in Indian waters “to ensure safety of life at sea and safety of ships”.
To be sure, the DGS order is limited to vessels sailing under the flags of India and Pakistan, and not on ships sailing under the flag of any other country. This suggests that ships bearing the flag of other countries may be allowed to sail between Indian and Pakistani ports.
Moreover, the DGS stated that any “exemption or dispensation” from this order shall be “examined and decided on case-to-case basis”. This provision is expected to deal with any affected ship that may already be en route, it is learnt. It also indicates that there may be a possibility of affected shippers seeking an exemption from these restrictions on a specific case-to-case basis.
All Indian ports, Mercantile Marine Departments (MMDs), and other stakeholders involved have been directed to implement this instruction with immediate effect. According to officials, the order will be in effect till otherwise directed by the Centre.
“The circular is self-explanatory. It is a preventive administrative step, taken in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, and according to the government’s present national security stance.
The official, on anonymity also explained that the directive follows international standards and protocols. The official further went on to add that even though the order was issued by the Indian ministry, the order follows International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines.
Enforcement of the ban will be done via port agents and maritime authorities charged with vessel clearance. These bodies will now refuse to allow entry to ships flying the Pakistani flag and restrict Indian vessels from going to Pakistani ports.
Historically, maritime trade between India and Pakistan has largely been symbolic. Both nations have a maritime border in the Arabian Sea, but a strained bilateral relationship has kept commercial ship movements restricted. Only around 10 Pakistan-flagged ships visited Indian ports in 2024, while four India-flagged ships visited Pakistani ports. Much of the bilateral trade—minimal because of the strained diplomatic relationship—has been dependent on third countries or land borders like Attari-Wagah. Due to the low trade volume, the ban is likely to have only a marginal impact. Yet, the move is geopolitically important and symbolic.
This move by India is the latest in a series of decisions amid its worsening diplomatic relations with Pakistan over the past two weeks. Following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in which armed terrorists killed 26 tourists at a popular tourist spot in Jammu and Kashmir, tensions between the two countries flared up with New Delhi blaming Islamabad-backed terrorists for the deadly attack on unarmed Indians.
The attack has been followed by a slew of measures and countermeasures from both countries, including pruning of staff at their diplomatic missions, putting key treaties in abeyance, closing their respective airspaces for each other’s aircraft and airlines, and heavily restricting bilateral trade. Tensions along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir have also risen with Indian forces accusing Pakistani troops of violating the ceasefire agreement by unprovoked firing at various locations. Indian troops have been responding to the firing from the Pakistani side.
News Edit KV Raman
