NEW DELHI — India has imposed an immediate ban on the import of goods originating from or transiting through Pakistan, citing national security concerns following a deadly militant attack in the disputed Kashmir region.
The decision, announced by India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade, comes in the wake of an assault in the Pahalgam area of Kashmir that killed at least 26 tourists. The region, long a flashpoint between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, has seen renewed tensions after India accused Pakistan of being linked to the attack—an allegation Islamabad strongly denies.
“This restriction is imposed in the interest of national security and public policy,” the trade authority said in its notification.
Pakistan, for its part, said it had “credible intelligence” that India may be preparing for military retaliation. In response, Islamabad has enacted a series of countermeasures: suspending all border trade, closing its airspace to Indian airlines, expelling Indian diplomats, and issuing a stern warning against any disruption to the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty—stating such an action would be deemed an act of war.
Bilateral trade between India and Pakistan has significantly declined in recent years, with tensions routinely spilling over into diplomatic and economic realms.