Indian authorities have again suspended all Pakistani accounts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), barely days after some became temporarily available, official sources confirmed on Thursday.
This fresh ban is part of New Delhi's overall digital and diplomatic crackdown on Pakistan, which has gained strength after the tragic terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22. The attack, perpetrated by handlers associated with The Resistance Front, which is a proxy of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, killed 26 tourists.
In reaction, India initiated a number of retaliatory actions, including putting the Indus Waters Treaty on hold and starting Operation Sindoor, hitting nine terror launch pads along the border.
One element of the reaction has been a wide-ranging Pakistani media and internet ban that has hit leading actors, sports persons, and social media influencers alike on platforms such as Instagram, X, YouTube, and more.
Whereas some of these accounts had become accessible again in recent days—-and provoked concerns and criticism—they have now been re-blocked.
Indian users trying to access these accounts are now greeted by the message: "Account Withheld. (Name of the account) has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand."
On Wednesday, Indian users briefly resumed access to social media accounts of a number of Pakistani celebrities and influencers, such as actors Saba Qamar, Mawra Hocane, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor, and former cricketers Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar on YouTube.
Those of Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, and Hania Aamir continued to be out of reach during the time.
Government sources further confirmed that the ban on access to Pakistani content via YouTube is still intact.
At the start of May, the Indian government issued a formal advisory to OTT platforms and digital intermediaries to stop streaming any content that originated in Pakistan.
The notice, dated May 8, 2025, and under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, specifically highlighted that "content hosted or streamed must not threaten India's sovereignty, integrity, national security, or public order." It also ordered platforms to take down all "web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming content" that was made in Pakistan—be it paid or free-to-view.
The recent re-emergence of certain Pakistani profiles prompted the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) to make an emergent plea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The association demanded a complete ban on Pakistani online content, contending that its existence online is an insult to Indian martyrs and their bereaved families.
Describing it as both an "insult to the martyrdom of our martyred soldiers" and an "emotional attack" on terror-hit families, AICWA referred to a number of previous attacks—like 26/11, Pulwama, Uri, and the Pahalgam attack—as part of a larger pattern of violence based on Pakistan-based extremism.
The organization also blamed some Pakistani celebrities for being loud against India without showing any sympathies or remorse. AICWA in their petition called for an all-around digital blackout of all Pakistani entities, an imposition of ban on future collaborations involving Pakistani nationals, and permanent disconnection of culture as a sign of respect to the Indian Armed Forces and families of martyred soldiers.
Read also| Indian Navy Welcomes INS Tamal, Equipped with BrahMos Missiles
Read also| MEA Condemns Abduction of 3 Indians in Mali, Urges Immediate Rescue Efforts
