India bans all imports from Pakistan amid tensions over Pahalgam attack

India calls it a national security move, days after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians

India has imposed a complete ban on all imports from Pakistan following the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam. The government said the decision, effective immediately, was taken in the "interest of national security and public policy", and will remain in force until further notice.

 

“All goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, whether directly or indirectly, freely importable or otherwise permitted, shall be prohibited with immediate effect, until further orders,” said the Ministry of Commerce in a notification issued on Friday. 

 

“Any exception to this prohibition shall require prior approval of the Government of India," it added.

 

 

The ban also applies to goods currently in transit and reinforces India's ongoing economic and diplomatic pushback against Islamabad in response to cross-border terrorism. 

 

This development follows the recent closure of the Wagah-Attari border trade route—the only land-based trade corridor between the two countries—after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. At least 26 civilians, including a Nepalese tourist and a local pony guide, were killed when armed terrorists opened fire in the popular Baisaran meadow in Kashmir. Investigations have since linked the attackers to terror groups based in Pakistan, deepening the diplomatic rift.

 

Imports from Pakistan have been steadily declining since the 2019 Pulwama attack, when India imposed a 200 per cent customs duty on Pakistani goods. By the 2024–25 fiscal year, Pakistan's share of India’s total imports had dropped to less than 0.0001 per cent. Products such as pharmaceutical items, fruits, and oilseeds made up most of what little trade remained.

 

The import ban is the latest in a series of measures India has taken against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack.

 

Earlier, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a key water-sharing agreement signed in 1960, citing “sustained cross-border terrorism.” The suspension could potentially choke Pakistan’s major water supply, affecting millions who rely on the Indus river system. 

 

Additionally, India has cancelled all visas issued to Pakistani nationals, including those granted for medical purposes. Pakistani citizens currently residing in India have been ordered to leave the country by a set deadline. Pakistan, in retaliation, threatened to withdraw from all bilateral agreements with India, including the Simla Agreement.

 

Diplomatic ties between the two nations have been downgraded, and tensions continue to simmer at both the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC), where Indian forces have reported provocative firing by Pakistani troops.