Pahalgam Attack: Pakistan blocks Indian Ships amid trade tensions
In response to India's extensive trade and port limitations, Pakistan has declared a prohibition on Indian-flagged ships from berthing at its ports.
The decision was announced late Saturday by Pakistan’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs. This comes hours after New Delhi barred Pakistani ships from Indian ports and imposed a complete ban on goods imported from or transiting through Pakistan.
It is to be noted that the order also prohibits Pakistani vessels from visiting any Indian ports. The directive stated that any exceptions to these limitations would be evaluated individually, taking into account national security, maritime sovereignty, and economic interests.
The order was issued by the Ports and Shipping Wing of Pakistan's maritime ministry.
The ongoing maritime confrontation is the newest tension in the swiftly worsening relations between the two neighboring countries, initiated by the April 22 terrorist assault in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, primarily tourists.
India has alleged that elements based in Pakistan orchestrated the attack and promised a firm response.
On Saturday, India officially prohibited all imports from Pakistan, even those coming through third countries, due to concerns about national security and public policy. The Indian Directorate General of Foreign Trade announced that the ban would be enforced immediately. Furthermore, India banned Pakistani ships from docking at its ports and prevented Indian-flagged vessels from visiting ports in Pakistan.
Pakistan claims to have successfully tested a ballistic missile with a range of 450 km, which sources suggest India views as a significant provocation.
Additionally, on the night of May 3-4, 2025, Pakistani Army positions engaged in unprovoked small arms fire across the Line of Control in regions opposite Kupwara, Baramulla, Poonch, Rajauri, Mendhar, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army responded swiftly and appropriately.
Although trade between the two nations had considerably decreased following India's imposition of a 200 percent tariff on Pakistani products after the Pulwama terror attack in 2019, the latest actions signify a total break in official economic ties.
At the same time, tensions escalated when the Pakistan Army carried out a training launch of the Abdali short-range ballistic missile, which has a range of 450 km. Islamabad characterized the launch as a routine exercise to maintain operational readiness, but New Delhi perceived it as a provocative move amid the current crisis.
Sri Lankan officials conducted a search on a flight from Chennai to Colombo on Saturday following intelligence suggesting a suspect connected to the Pahalgam terror attack could be onboard. SriLankan Airlines reported that after a comprehensive inspection, the aircraft was approved for operations.
Indian authorities have pinpointed four individuals linked to the Pahalgam massacre, among them two citizens of Pakistan. A comprehensive search operation continues in Jammu and Kashmir, as security personnel ramp up their efforts to locate the perpetrators.