New Delhi [India], May 4 (ANI): BJP National Spokesperson RP Singh on Sunday welcomed India's decision to ban all direct and indirect imports from Pakistan, effectively halting bilateral trade. The BJP leader said that 'trade and terrorism cannot work together.'

Calling out Pakistan for 'sending terrorists' to India, he stated that it is not feasible to do trade with such a country and that the people of India wholly welcome the decision.

While speaking to ANI Singh said, 'Trade and terrorism cannot work together. Pakistan continuously sends terrorists to us and we cannot trade with them. India has not only stopped direct import, even imports from another country which are routed to them from Pakistan, that is closed off too. The whole country welcomes it.'

On May 3, India imposed an immediate ban on the direct or indirect import and transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, regardless of their import status, effectively halting bilateral trade flows, according to a notification by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The Commerce and Industry's Gazette notification issued on Saturday reads, 'In exercise of power coffered by Section 3 read with Section 5 of the Foreign Trade (Development & Regulation) Act, 1992, read with Paragraph 1.02 and 2.01 of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023, as amended from time to time, the Central government hereby inserts a new Para 2.20A in the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023 as follows with immediate effect.'

'Para 2.20A: Prohibition on Import from Pakistan. Direct or indirect Import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, whether or not freely importable or otherwise permitted, shall be prohibited with immediate effect, until further orders. This restriction is imposed in the interest of national security and public policy. Any exception to this prohibition shall require prior approval of the Government of India,' the Commerce and Industry Ministry's notification added.

The move comes amid the growing tensions between India and Pakistan following the dastardly attack in Pahalgam in which 26 tourists lost their lives.

Following the terror attack the Central government announced several diplomatic measures, such as closing the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, suspending the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, giving them 40 hours to return to their country, and reducing the number of officers in the High Commissions on both sides. India also held the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, since the signing of the treaty in 1960, this is the first time step of this diplomatic scale was taken regarding the Indus river.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also assured the country that the terrorists responsible for this attack, along with those who conspired it, will face punishment beyond their imagination, The Prime Minister asserted that the time has come to eliminate the remaining strongholds of terrorism and that the willpower of 140 crore Indians will now break the backbone of the perpetrators of terror. (ANI)