The social media accounts of several Pakistani actors and cricketers have been banned once again after they were made accessible in India briefly on Wednesday.
Image Source: Instagram
The social media accounts of several Pakistani actors and cricketers have been banned once again after they were made accessible in India briefly on Wednesday.
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These accounts were restored due to “technical reasons”, according to sources. “If you can see some accounts on X, YouTube, and Meta, they will be inaccessible in a few hours. Some technical glitch led to the unblocking. Rectified now,” claimed the source.
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On Wednesday, the Instagram accounts of Pakistani actors Mawra Hocane, Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor were made visible.
The YouTube channels of cricketers Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar, which were accessible yesterday, are now blocked. Upon accessing, the message says ”This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order.”
The accounts of other Pakistani actors, such as Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, and Hania Aamir, remained inaccessible from India even yesterday. Upon searching for their accounts, users get a message: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”
Earlier in May, the government directed all Over-the-Top, or OTT, platforms, media streaming services, and digital intermediaries to discontinue web series, films, songs, podcasts, and other media content originating from Pakistan.
The advisory, dated May 8, 2025, issued under Part II of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, reminded publishers and intermediaries of their obligation to ensure that content hosted or streamed does not threaten India’s sovereignty, integrity, national security, or public order.
“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 their origins in Pakistan with immediate effect,” the advisory said.
On Wednesday, after several Pakistani accounts were made visible, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) made an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a complete ban on the “social media presence and media channels of all Pakistani nationals, artists, influencers, and entertainment entities in India.”
Commenting on the visibility of several Pakistani accounts in India, the AICWA in its release posted on X said, ” It is deeply concerning and absolutely unacceptable that social media accounts of Pakistani artists like Mawra Hocane, Yumna Zaidi, and several Pakistan-based channels are once again visible in India. This is not merely a digital appearance — it is a direct insult to the sacrifice of our martyred soldiers and an emotional assault on every Indian who lost a loved one in terror attacks perpetrated by Pakistan.”
The association demanded an immediate nationwide digital blackout of all Pakistani social media accounts and media channels, a ban on all future collaborations or promotions involving Pakistani citizens in Indian media, OTT platforms, and advertising. It also demanded a permanent cultural disconnect from Pakistan, as a mark of respect to the Indian Armed Forces and the families of martyrs.
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