The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Thursday has issued an advisory directing all OTT platforms, media streaming services and digital intermediaries to immediately discontinue streaming content originating from Pakistan.
The advisory refers to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, specifically Part-III, which lays down the Code of Ethics for publishers of online curated content.
As per the rules, platforms are required to exercise discretion in broadcasting content that may affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, threaten the security of the state, disrupt public order, or damage India’s relations with foreign countries.
Further, Rule 3(1)(b) of Part-II mandates that intermediaries must ensure reasonable efforts are made to prevent the hosting, publishing or sharing of any information that could endanger national unity, defence, or public order, or harm relations with foreign states.
The Ministry cited multiple terrorist incidents linked to Pakistan-based actors, both state and non-state, as the rationale behind the advisory.
Most notably, it pointed to the recent terror attack in Pahalgam on 22 April 2025, which resulted in the deaths of several Indian nationals and one Nepali
citizen, with many others injured.
The government claims there is
evidence of cross-border involvement in the attack.
“In the interest of national security,” the advisory states, “all OTT platforms, media streaming platforms and intermediaries operating in India are advised to discontinue the web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming media content, whether made available on a subscription-based model or otherwise, having its origins in Pakistan with immediate effect.”
The directive has been issued with the approval of the competent authority within the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
While the advisory is not a formal ban, it is a strong signal from the government urging compliance from digital platforms operating within the Indian jurisdiction.
The development is expected to have wide-ranging implications for content libraries on platforms that feature cross-border entertainment, particularly those that have historically streamed Pakistani dramas, music or films.
This move comes amid heightened tensions following the Pahalgam incident, and reinforces the Centre’s stand on prioritising national security in the digital media ecosystem.