Pakistani ship arrives at Indian port despite diplomatic strain

KARACHI: The Pakistani bulk cargo ship ‘SIBI’ arrived at the Indian port of Haldia on Tuesday, carrying coal from China. According to sources, the vessel delivered 26,000 tonnes of coal to India.

The ship, owned by the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), transported the coal from China to India and docked on Monday at Haldia Port near Kolkata, amid heightened tensions between the two countries following the recent terrorist incident in Pahalgam.

Sources stated that the ship had been chartered by a Chinese company. When contacted, a PNSC spokesperson said that the charter party agreement for SIBI was concluded prior to the recent conflict, under a legally binding commercial arrangement.

He added that, under the Indo-Pak Maritime Protocol, vessels flagged by either country are permitted to call at each other’s ports.The spokesperson also emphasised that the PNSC remains fully aligned with the policies and directives of the Pakistan government.