Digital strike: India bans social media accounts of Pakistani artists

KARACHI: A couple days after India banned around 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major news outlets like Geo News, Dawn and ARY News, accusing them of spreading “provocative” and misleading content following the Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, the Indian government expanded its list on Wednesday (April 30) and blocked the Instagram accounts of several Pakistani actors.

Per the news reports, when users in India attempt to access these accounts on Instagram, they are redirected to a blank page displaying the message: “Account not available in India” in bold, followed by, “This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”

The divide between India and Pakistan deepened in 2019 after India revoked held Kashmir’s special status. Since then, the Modi-led government has shown no willingness to engage in dialogue with Pakistan.

The April 22 Pahalgam attack in a tourist place in held Kashmir gave India the ammunition it required to start its anti-Pakistan campaign. India quickly blamed Pakistan for the attack, a claim that has been denied by Pakistan.

A day after the restrictions, India banned the Instagram accounts of high-profile Pakistani celebrities, including Atif Aslam, Fawad Khan and Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Actor Fawad Khan recently completed a Bollywood project ‘Abir Gulaal’, which was scheduled to release on May 9. Following the Pahalgam attack, the Indian government decided against releasing the film across the country, Times of India reported.

Pakistan also adopted a similar ‘ban’ apporach. The Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) on Friday suspended the broadcast of Indian songs on FM radio stations. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting praised the move as a “principled decision” reflecting national solidarity.