New Delhi [India]: Instagram accounts of prominent Pakistani celebrities, including actors Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, and Ali Zafar, have been restricted from access in India. Visitors to their profiles are now greeted with a message stating, “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”
This move follows India’s recent decision to ban 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative, communally sensitive content and misinformation targeting India, its Army, and security forces. The decision was reportedly made on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), following the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
A government source stated, “On the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has banned some Pakistani YouTube channels for disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies in the backdrop of the tragic Pahalgam terror incident.”
Since the 2016 Uri terror attack, there has been an unofficial ban on Pakistani artists working in the Indian entertainment industry. No Pakistani actors have been cast in Bollywood productions since then. Earlier this month, Fawad Khan’s comeback film Abir Gulaal, which also stars Vaani Kapoor, was denied release in India. Fawad’s last appearance in a Bollywood film was in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016).
The recent terror attack and its aftermath have prompted India to reinforce its stance against Pakistani content and influence, with digital platforms being the latest front.