Pahalgam terror attack aftermath: No entry for Pakistani ships in India; DGS bars Indian flag ships from entering ports of Pakistan

“In exercise of power conferred by section 411 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, read with objectives as enshrined under Preamble of the said Act, keeping in view the present situation, the following directions are hereby issued: A ship bearing the flag of Pakistan shall not be allowed to visit any Indian port. An Indian flag ship shall not visit any port of Pakistan,” the DGS order said.

Section 411 of the Merchant Shipping Act empowers the DGS to issue directions to ships to meet the objective of national interest or the interest of Indian shipping. The Act deals with ships with Indian flag anywhere in the world and ships with foreign flags while in Indian waters “to ensure safety of life at sea and safety of ships”.

The DGS order is limited to vessels sailing under the flags of India and Pakistan, and not on ships sailing under the flag of any other country. This suggests that ships bearing the flag of other countries may be allowed to sail between ports of India and Pakistan.

The DGS also stated that any “exemption or dispensation” from this order shall be “examined and decided on a case-to-case basis”. This provision is expected to deal with any affected ship that may already be en route, it is learnt. It also indicates that there may be a possibility of affected shippers seeking an exemption from these restrictions on a specific case-to-case basis.

All Indian ports, Mercantile Marine Departments, and other stakeholders involved have been directed to implement this instruction immediately. According to officials, the order will be in effect till otherwise directed by the Centre.

“The circular is self-explanatory. It is a preventive administrative step taken in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, and according to the government’s present national security stance,” a senior official at the Mumbai-based DGS told The Indian Express.

The official, who did not wish to be identified, explained that the directive follows international standards and protocols. “Even though the order was issued by the Indian ministry, it follows International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines,” the official said.

Enforcement of the ban will be done via port agents and maritime authorities charged with vessel clearance.

India-Pak maritime trade

Historically, maritime trade between India and Pakistan has largely been symbolic. Both nations have a maritime border in the Arabian Sea, but a strained bilateral relationship has kept commercial ship movements restricted.

Only around 10 Pakistan-flagged ships visited Indian ports in 2024, while four India-flagged ships visited Pakistani ports. Much of the bilateral trade – minimal because of the strained diplomatic relationship – has been dependent on third countries or land borders like Attari-Wagah. Due to the low trade volume, the ban is likely to have only a marginal impact.

This move by India is the latest in a series of decisions following the Pahalgam attack in which armed terrorists killed 26 people.

The attack has been followed by a slew of measures and countermeasures from both countries, including pruning of staff at their diplomatic missions, putting key treaties in abeyance, closing their respective airspaces for each other’s aircraft and airlines, and restricting bilateral trade.