India blocks Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s YouTube channel after Pahalgam terror attack
India-Pakistan war: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s YouTube channel was blocked in India on Friday amid ongoing tension between the two countries following the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
Now, when users in India attempt to access the channel, they are met with a message stating: “This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order”.
Not only this, but the Instagram accounts of several Pakistani celebrities have also been suspended. These include singer Atif Aslam, cricketers Shahid Afridi and Babar Azam, and actors Fawad Khan, Hania Aamir, and Mahira Khan.
Earlier this week, the government banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, which included big media houses like Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, and Geo News. According to the Indian government, these channels were allegedly disseminating “false, provocative and communally sensitive content” about India.
The action was taken based on the advice of the Ministry of Home Affairs. It also included personal accounts of journalists like Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq.
India also warned the BBC for its coverage of the Pahalgam terror attack. The Ministry of External Affairs objected to the BBC calling the terrorists ‘militants’ and officially conveyed their protest to BBC India Head Jackie Martin.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised the ‘harshest’ action against those responsible for the attack. He said the terrorists and their supporters don’t want peace and development to return to Kashmir.
In another strong step, India cancelled the visas of several Pakistani citizens. Because of this, over 500 Pakistanis, including diplomats, had to return home through the Attari-Wagah border.
Meanwhile, Indian authorities have also increased action against terror networks in Jammu and Kashmir. They are demolishing properties linked to militants and detaining people suspected of helping terrorists.
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