No Entry for Pakistani Ships: Major Maritime Decision by Indian Government

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has banned the entry of Pakistani-flagged ships into Indian ports. Along with this, Indian-flagged ships have also been banned from visiting Pakistani ports. After the Pahalgam attack, India took several strict measures against Pakistan and the latest order is a part of this series.

These restrictions have been imposed with immediate effect to protect Indian assets, cargo and port infrastructure under Section 411 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958. The order issued by the ministry said, "The purpose of the Act is to promote the development of Indian merchant shipping in the best manner to serve the national interests and to ensure its efficient maintenance."

The order will remain in force until further notice as part of efforts to strengthen security and ensure smooth navigation of India's maritime interests. According to the order, "No Pakistan-flagged ship will be allowed to enter any Indian port and no Indian-flagged ship will be allowed to enter any Pakistani port."

It also said that any exemption from the order "will be examined and decided on a case-by-case basis." Earlier, India banned all types of direct and indirect imports from Pakistan amid heightened tensions with the neighbouring country following the Pahalgam terror attack.

According to the Commerce Ministry notification, "The direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, whether freely importable or otherwise permitted, shall remain prohibited with immediate effect until further orders." The notification said, "This ban has been imposed in the interest of national security and public policy. Any exception to this ban will require prior approval of the Government of India."

In this regard, a provision 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,' the May 2 notification said.