The government of Pakistan has officially banned the import of all goods originating from India in a major move reflecting the escalating tensions between Pakistan and India.

The Ministry of Commerce issued a formal notification on Sunday, citing national security and public interest as the primary reasons for the decision.

According to the notification, the ban has been imposed under Sub-section 3 of Section 3 of the Import and Export Control Act, 1950. It prohibits the import of all goods from India, regardless of the route — sea, land, or air.

Furthermore, the ban also extends to Indian-origin goods transiting through Pakistan, as well as exports from other countries that are intended for India but routed through Pakistan. This comprehensive restriction is aimed at halting any commercial movement linked to India via Pakistani territory.

Limited exemptions

However, the Ministry of Commerce has clarified that the new order will not apply to letters of credit (LCs) issued prior to the notification, nor to shipments for which bills of lading were issued before the enforcement of the ban.

India Officially Suspends Postal Exchange with Pakistan

Meanwhile, India has officially halted all postal and parcel exchanges with Pakistan via both air and land routes, citing cross-border links to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack last month that claimed 26 lives.

According to an order issued by the Department of Posts under the Ministry of Communications of India, the suspension applies to “the exchange of all categories of inbound mail and parcels from Pakistan through air and surface routes". The directive has been circulated to all postal circle heads across the country.

Lakshmikanta Dash, deputy director general (International Relations and Global Business) at India Post, confirmed the development, stating: “The Government of India has decided to suspend the exchange of all kinds of postal mail and parcels from Pakistan via both air and land routes.”

Background of postal suspension

Although postal services between India and Pakistan have been largely suspended since 2019, Saturday’s move marks the first formal written ban issued by New Delhi. The exchange had originally ceased in August 2019, when Pakistan “unilaterally stopped accepting postal bags from India” following the Indian government’s move to abrogate Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Postal services briefly resumed in November 2019, but were again suspended by Pakistan in 2020. Since then, India had kept its side open without issuing any formal restrictions — until now.

Saturday’s directive marks a significant shift in policy and signals heightened diplomatic tension, as India holds Pakistan responsible for links to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam.