After a series of bans on Pakistani YouTube channels and actors’ and actresses’ social media accounts in India, some of the restrictions have now been quietly lifted.
Celebrities and Youtubers, whose accounts have become accessible again, include Danish Taimoor, Ahad Raza Mir, Mawra Hocane, Yumna Zaidi, Aalia Shah are visible in India. Curbs were imposed in the wake of Operation Sindoor after Pahalgam terror attack.
Along with the Instagram accounts, the most popular YouTube channels of Pakistani daily dramas — Green TV Entertainment, ARY Digital HD, HUM TV and HAR PAL GEO are also back in India. YouTube channel Breaking Barrier with Aalia Shah also reappeared in India.
The return of these profiles has sparked discussions online, though Indian authorities have not released any statement confirming the removal of the restrictions. Mawra Hocane, actors Hania Aamir and Mahira Khan too were criticised for their support for the terror attack.
However, the accounts of Fawad Khan, Hania Aamir, Mahira Khan, Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam and Babar Azam, remain blocked in the region. While it remains unclear why only a few accounts have been restored, netizens believe that only B-list celebrity’s accounts are being allowed. Many took to their social media accounts to share screenshots of these profiles.
Meanwhile, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has issued a formal appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a complete and permanent ban on the digital and media presence of all Pakistani nationals and entertainment-related entities in India.
In a statement shared through its official X account, the association expressed concern over the reappearance of Pakistani actors and media channels on Indian digital platforms.
AICWA cited the active social media presence of Pakistani celebrities such as Mawra Hocane and Yumna Zaidi, along with several Pakistan-based entertainment outlets, calling it “an emotional assault” on the families of victims of terrorism. “This is not merely a digital appearance, it is a direct insult to the sacrifice of our martyred soldiers,” the association said. It referenced terror attacks including 26/11, Pulwama, Uri and Pahalgam as part of its appeal, reiterating its long-standing position that Pakistan is responsible for continued cross-border terrorism.
The organisation called for a nationwide digital blackout of Pakistani social media accounts and media channels, a ban on all future collaborations involving Pakistani citizens across Indian media, OTT platforms, advertising and a permanent cultural disconnect with Pakistan, as a tribute to India’s armed forces and martyrs.
Right after the Pahalgam incident, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) announced a “blanket boycott” of Pakistani artists in light of the attack. Fawad Khan-starrer Abir Gulaal, a Bollywood film, was the first casualty of the boycott.
The curbs began in late April when the Indian government blamed Pakistan for an attack in Pahalgam, a region in Indian-occupied Kashmir. Utilising the emergency powers under the IT Rules, 2021, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, 2021, vide two separate orders on 22.04.2022, issued directions for blocking of over three dozen YouTube channels and accounts of celebrities of Pakistan for their support on Pahalgham terror and anti India stand.
YouTube channels based in Pakistan were found to have been used in a coordinated manner to post fake news about India on various subjects such as the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir and India’s foreign relations in the light of situation in Ukraine, etc. The content of these channels was observed to be completely false, and sensitive from the perspective of national security, sovereignty and integrity of India and India’s friendly relations with foreign States.