India halts all imports, postal services with Pakistan

The Government of India has officially suspended all forms of trade and postal communication with Pakistan. This marks a significant escalation in bilateral disengagement, with immediate effect.

Earlier in the day, India announced a complete ban on Pakistani ships docking at Indian ports and halted all imports and goods transit originating from or routed through Pakistan. Following this, postal services between the two countries were also suspended, severing a long-standing line of people-to-people contact and logistical exchange.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry issued a notification under Section 3 of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992, inserting a new clause, Para 2.20a, into the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023. The new provision prohibits:

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"Direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, whether or not freely importable or otherwise permitted… until further orders."

The government stated that this decision was made "in the interest of national security and public policy." Any exceptions to this prohibition will require prior approval from the Government of India.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) clarified that the restriction applies not only to direct trade but also to indirect shipments and transits, including goods routed through third countries.

The Department of Posts also confirmed the suspension of all postal exchanges with Pakistan, affecting both private and official communications. This includes letters, parcels, and express mail services.

There has been no immediate official response from Islamabad.