Last Updated:July 03, 2025, 09:52 IST

After backlash over brief visibility of Pakistani celebrity accounts, the government has reinstated the block on over 18,000 handles across platforms.

On July 2, Hania Aamir, Fawad Khan And Mahira Khan's Instagram accounts had briefly become visible to Indian users.

Just a day after several Pakistani actors’ and cricketers’ social media accounts became accessible in India, the government has once again blocked them following an emergency internal review, government sources told News18.

On July 2, Instagram accounts of actors like Mawra Hocane, Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor had briefly become visible to Indian users. YouTube channels of cricketers Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar, along with entertainment platforms like Hum TV, ARY Digital, and Har Pal Geo, were also accessible.

However, by Thursday morning, these accounts were once again geo-restricted. Users searching for them were met with the familiar message: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content."

According to government sources, over 18,000 Pakistani social media handles across platforms have now been blocked in India. This includes individual accounts of celebrities, influencers, media entities, and entertainment networks operating from Pakistan.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has not issued any official statement so far about the brief unblocking or the re-imposition of the digital restrictions.

The original restrictions stemmed from an advisory issued on May 8, 2025, under Part II of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The directive instructed OTT platforms, streaming services, and intermediaries to immediately discontinue web series, films, songs, and other media content originating from Pakistan.

The advisory explicitly cited concerns regarding India’s sovereignty, national security, public order, and integrity, and warned publishers and digital intermediaries to remain compliant.

AICWA Demands Permanent Ban

The brief reappearance of Pakistani accounts had also drawn strong condemnation from the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), which termed it an “insult" to families of victims of cross-border terrorism. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the association reiterated its demand for a complete digital blackout, a ban on future collaborations, and a permanent cultural disconnect with Pakistan.

Referring to terror attacks, including 26/11, Pulwama, Uri, and Pahalgam, the cine body held Pakistan responsible for continued cross-border terrorism and called it a “terrorist nation".

Terror, Retaliation, And The Ban

The digital takedowns are rooted in a series of major escalations between India and Pakistan. On April 22, terrorists attacked a tourist convoy in Pahalgam, killing 26 civilians—25 of them Indian. The attack was claimed by The Resistance Front, a proxy of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), operating from Pakistan.

Following the massacre, India took multiple diplomatic and military steps:

• Downgraded diplomatic ties with Islamabad

• Announced its intent to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960

• Launched Operation Sindoor, a precision strike that hit nine terror bases inside Pakistan

Several Pakistani celebrities publicly criticised Operation Sindoor, further fuelling demands for a cultural boycott. This wave of backlash likely influenced the government’s decision to restrict Pakistani-origin content online.

First Published:

July 03, 2025, 09:32 IST

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