Pahalgam terror attack: India bans all maritime access to Pakistan

Amid deteriorating ties after the Pahalgam terrorist attack, India has now enforced a complete maritime shutdown against Pakistan, banning the entry of Pakistani vessels at Indian ports, and vice-versa.

 

India’s shipping regulator, the Directorate General of Shipping, said in a notice on Saturday that the direction has been issued “keeping in view of the present situation”.

 

“A ship bearing the flag of Pakistan shall not be allowed to visit any Indian Port. An Indian flag ship shall not visit any Ports of Pakistan. This order is issued to ensure safety of Indian assets, cargo and connected infrastructure, in public interest and for interest of Indian shipping,” the regulator said.

 

Any exemption or dispensation from this order shall be examined and decided on a case-to-case basis, it said, adding that the order shall come into force with immediate effect and remain in force till further order.

 

Late last month, the directorate general had asked all stakeholders to exercise caution in Pakistani waters, especially amid the country testing missiles in its exclusive economic zone.

 

“All Indian flagged vessels and Indian seafarers calling at ports of Pakistan are advised to exercise due caution while operating in or transiting through the region,” the regulator’s notice issued on April 25 said.

 

In its advisory on April 24, India’s ministry of External Affairs had said that it has suspended visa services to Pakistani nationals.

 

“All Pakistani nationals currently in India must leave India before the expiry of visas, as now amended. Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid travelling to Pakistan. Those Indian nationals currently in Pakistan are also advised to return to India at the earliest,” the ministry said in its advisory.

 

In the immediate aftermath of the Pahalgam attack which left 26 dead and several injured, the Indian government took a host of measures against Pakistan – these included the abeyance of the Indus Water Treaty and expelling of Pakistani senior defence advisors in India.

 

In response, Pakistan held the Simla Agreement in abeyance and said that any attempt to disrupt water supply assured under the Indus Water Treaty will be treated as an Act of War.