“There is reasonable intelligence indicating towards imminent threat of kinetic action by India against Pakistan,” permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said in a press conference on May 2.
Ships bearing Pakistan flag shall not be allowed to visit any Indian port, a statement from the Ministry of Communications said. Simultaneously, an Indian flag ship shall not visit any ports of Pakistan, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways declared.
Trade between the two nations has dwindled over the last few years. India imported $420,000 worth of goods from Pakistan between April 2024 and January 2025, a sharp plunge from $2.86 million of imports over the same period in the previous year, Bloomberg reported citing data from India’s commerce ministry. Exports from India to Pakistan also dropped to $447.7 million between April 2024 and January 2025 from $1.1 billion the year before.
On Friday, India blocked Instagram accounts of leading current and former Pakistani cricketers including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Wasim Akram, intensifying its digital crackdown on influential personalities, like Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi, across the border in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism has plagued India for years, yet the Pahalgam attack once again highlights India’s reactive, ad hoc response. Rather than keeping contingency plans ready to execute swift, surprise retaliation, Modi has convened endless meetings — giving Pakistan…
– Brahma Chelaney (@chelalaney) May 3, 2025
Since the attack in Kashmir, India’s punitive measures to cut ties with Pakistan included suspending the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, canceling visas of Pakistanis living in India, forcing Pakistani diplomats out of the country and restricting its airspace.
Pakistan too has announced retaliatory measures against India, such as halting all trade, closing its airspace and expelling Indian diplomats. It has warned that any attempt to prevent the flow of water promised under the decades-old treaty would be seen an act of war. Islamabad has offered to join a probe either by Indian officials or an independent agency to find facts and avoid conflict.
(Edited by : Sriram Iyer)
First Published: May 3, 2025 5:14 PM IS
