India bans all imports from Pakistan amid rising tensions

 

by IANS |

New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) India has banned all imports - direct and indirect - from Pakistan amid rising tensions with the neighbouring country over the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack.


According to a notification by the Commerce Ministry, "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," said the notification.


A provision in this regard has been added in the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 "to prohibit direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan," it said in the notification dated May 2.


As per official data, India's exports to Pakistan fell 56.91 per cent year-on-year between April 2024 and February 2025 to $491 million, while there were no imports. Top exports to Pakistan in FY25 included drug formulations, sugar, bulk drugs, residual chemicals and auto components.


The Attari-Wagah border, the sole trade route between India and Pakistan, had already been closed in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.


At least 26 civilians, including a Nepalese tourist and a local pony guide operator, were massacred by terrorists in the scenic Baisaran meadow in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22. The relations between the two nations soured as terror links to Pakistan emerged.


As per official data, India's exports to Pakistan fell 56.91 per cent year-on-year between April 2024 and February 2025 to $491 million, while there were no imports.


Top exports to Pakistan in FY25 included drug formulations, sugar, bulk drugs, residual chemicals and auto components.


Meanwhile, the ongoing tension with India has shaken the confidence of investors in Pakistan badly, setting the country on course to record its worst performance in dollar bonds and stocks since 2023.


The investors have lost at least four per cent during April, while equities are down by three per cent. In comparison, India's assets have largely been invulnerable.


Global powers, including the United States, have called on both parties to show restraint and de-escalate tensions.

Latest News
India's textiles exports see 4.6 pc growth in last 4 fiscals, exports rise in over 100 nations Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 04:35 PM
IPL 2026 auction: Cameron Green to get Rs 18 crore despite KKR's Rs 25.2 Cr bid Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 04:34 PM
'Insult to Mahatma Gandhi': Oppn protests outside Parliament against move to replace MGNREGA Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 04:33 PM
Vibrant Gujarat Regional Conference: MoUs signed to accelerate Gir Somnath's industrial growth Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 04:04 PM
Victory Day: Sheikh Hasina's son warns of increasing Pak-backed proxies in Bangladesh Tue, Dec 16, 2025, 04:03 PM