Several Pakistani social media accounts that briefly became accessible in India earlier this month have been blocked again, with government officials confirming that the temporary visibility was due to a technical error. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had initially ordered the blocks in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, which killed 26 tourists.
According to officials familiar with the matter, the inadvertent restoration was not intentional and corrective action has already been initiated to re-block the accounts.
Who Was Briefly Unblocked?
On June 2, Instagram accounts of popular Pakistani actors including:
- Saba Qamar
- Mawra Hocane
- Ahad Raza Mir
- Hania Amir
- Yumna Zaidi
- Danish Taimoor
were briefly visible to Indian users before being restricted again on June 3. Users saw the message:
“Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”
Likewise, previously blocked YouTube channels like Dawn News, ARY News, Geo News, and Bol News had also been made briefly visible due to the glitch. At the time of writing, some channels like Raftartv, ARY Digital HD, and Har Pal Geo remain accessible.
Why Were They Banned?
The bans were implemented under the April 27 government order, citing national security and public order concerns following the terror strike in Pahalgam. On May 8, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry issued an advisory to OTT platforms directing them to:
“Discontinue all web-series, films, songs, podcasts, and streaming content having its origin in Pakistan, effective immediately.”
Operation Sindoor and Rising Tensions
The move to block Pakistani digital content came against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, launched by India on May 7 to target terror camps in Pakistan and PoK, following the Pahalgam attack. A ceasefire was declared between the two nations on May 10, but bilateral tensions remain high.
What Happens Now?
The government is continuing to review digital content access and is actively monitoring platform compliance. Further action may include permanent restrictions or tighter surveillance mechanisms to prevent such technical lapses in the future.