India suspends shipping links, postal services with Pakistan

India on Saturday suspended shipping links with Pakistan saying a ship bearing the flag of Pakistan will not be allowed to visit any Indian port and an Indian flagship will not visit any ports of Pakistan.

In an order issued by the Directorate General of Shipping, Mumbai, it was stated that the government was exercising powers under Section 411 of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1958 to ensure the safety of life at sea, the safety of ships and to ensure efficient maintenance of Indian mercantile marine in a manner best suited to serve the national interest.

The order said that section 411 empowered the director general of shipping to issue directions to ships for meeting the objectives of national interest or the interest of Indian shipping.  “Now, therefore, in exercise of power conferred by section 411 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1958, with objectives as enshrined under preamble of the SAD act, keeping in view the present situation, the following directions are hereby issued”, said the orders.

https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/india-mulls-suspension-of-shipping-links-postal-services-with-pak/amp

The directions issued are, “A ship bearing the flag of Pakistan shall not be allowed to visit any Indian port. An Indian flagship 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 the interest of Indian shipping. Any exemption or dispensation from this order shall be examined and decided on a case to case basis.”

The order was sent to Chairperson of all ports in India. The development comes in the wake of several others after the April 22, Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 Indian tourists were killed by Pakistan train terrorists. India's retaliatory measures after the Pahalgam attack began with the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.