Pahalgam attack fallout: India bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels; full list here
The decision was based on the recommendations made by the Ministry of Home Affairs following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that claimed lives of 26 people, mostly tourists.
#JUSTIN:The Centre has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for disseminating provocative, communally sensitive content, false, misleading narratives against India, its Army & security agencies in the backdrop of the tragic Pahalgam terror incident in J&K. @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/L0MIzGG19g
— Mahender Singh Manral (@mahendermanral) April 28, 2025
Here's the full list of the 16 banned channels on YouTube:
1. Dawn News TV – Considered among the leading platforms in Pakistan with 1.96 million followers, the channel uses the handle @dawnnewspakistan.
2. Irshad Bhatti – Irshad Bhatti's YouTube channel has 827k followers. The channel's handle is @IrshadBhatti01.
3. Samaa TV – Samaa TV has 12.7 million followers. The channel goes by the handle @Samaatv.
4. ARY News – ARY News has 14.6 million followers. The channel's handle is @ArynewsTvofficial.
5. BOL News – BOL News has 7.85 million followers. The channel uses the handle @BOLNewsofficial.
6. Raftar – Raftar has 804k followers. The channel's handle is @raftartv.
7. The Pakistan Reference – The Pakistan Reference has 288k followers. The channel's handle is @ThePakistanExperience.
8. Geo News – Geo News has 18.1 million followers. The channel uses the handle @geonews.
9. Samaa Sports – Samaa Sports has 73.5k followers. The channel's handle is @SamaaSports.
10. GNN – GNN has 3.54 million followers. The channel's handle is @gnnhdofficial.
11. Uzair Cricket – Uzair Cricket has 288k followers. The channel's handle is @UzairCricket786.
12. Umar Cheema Exclusive – Umar Cheema Exclusive has 125k followers. The channel's handle is @UmarCheemaExclusive.
13. Asma Shirazi – Asma Shirazi's channel has 133k followers. The handle is @AsmaShiraziofficial.
14. Muneeb Farooq – Muneeb Farooq's channel has 165k followers. The handle is @muneebfarooqofficial.
15. SUNO News HD – SUNO News HD has 1.36 million followers. The channel uses the handle @SUNONewsHD.
16. Razi Naama – Razi Naama's channel has 270k followers. The handle is @razinaama.
'Content currently unavilable'
When users try to access these platforms, they can see the following message: 'This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order. For more details about government removal requests, please visit the Google Transparency Report (transparencyreport.google.com).'
BBC pulled up over its Kashmir reporting
According to sources, the Ministry of External Affairs also sent a formal letter to BBC India's channel head Jackie Martin over its coverage of the Pahalgam attack, criticising the use of the term 'militants' to describe the terrorists.
'New Delhi 's concerns have been strongly conveyed to the BBC by the MEA XP Division, and now the XP Division will be monitoring further reporting of the BBC,' the source added.
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