Amid rising geopolitical tensions between the two neighboring countries, India has blocked more Pakistani YouTube channels and Instagram accounts.
Following the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir on April 22, which killed 26 people, India has ramped up its digital blockages, banning several Pakistani X accounts, YouTube channels, and Instagram profiles.
In its latest move, India has blocked access to various Pakistani YouTube entertainment channels, including Geo Entertainment, ARY Digital, and HUM TV. It has also blocked Instagram accounts of popular celebrities such as Mahira Khan and Hania Aamir, according to local and Indian news publications.
Multiple social media users from India have shared screenshots of notifications of account restrictions on Instagram in the country.
Last week, on the orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Indian government blocked access to 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including those of news organisations. Dawn News, ARY News, Samaa TV, Suno News, Geo News, Bol News, and Raftar remain inaccessible in the country.
Pakistani journalists, including Asma Shirazi, Muneeb Farooq, Irshad Bhatti, Umar Cheema, and Rizwan Razi have been blocked on YouTube, too.
Content creators have not been spared either. YouTuber and actor Arslan Naseer and Shehzad Ghias, who hosts the podcast “The Pakistan Experience”, have also confirmed that their accounts have been blocked in India.
The X handle of the Government of Pakistan was among the first batch of social media accounts to be banned in India.
The Indian government has cited risks to national security as the reason for blocking these channels, accusing them of propagating “false narratives” against the country.
