India Bans All Imports From Pakistan Amid Unrest Over Pahalgam Tension

Pahalgam Tension: In another stringent action against Pakistan amid tensions over the Pahalgam terror attack, India has banned direct or indirect imports from the neighbouring country.

Emphasising that the restriction on transit applies to all products from Pakistan, the central government has said that the latest decision has been taken in the interest of national security and public policy.

“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,” the notification read.

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.