India Blocks Pakistani Accounts on X Amid Ongoing Digital Crackdown
The move is the latest in a series of escalating digital and diplomatic measures taken by India following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 tourists were killed by militants linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba's proxy group, The Resistance Front.
In response to the attack, India launched Operation Sindoor and suspended the Indus Water Treaty, while also initiating a sweeping crackdown on Pakistani digital content. This includes restricting access to social media accounts of Pakistani celebrities, influencers, and media personalities across X, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms.
Although some accounts, including those of popular actors and former cricketers, had recently become accessible again—sparking public criticism—the government has now reinstated the block. Users attempting to access these accounts are greeted with a message:
"Account Withheld. (Name of the account) has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand."
Among those briefly visible were the X and Instagram profiles of Mawra Hocane, Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor, as well as YouTube channels operated by Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar.
However, profiles of Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, and Hania Aamir remained blocked throughout.
The ban on Pakistani YouTube channels also remains in place, officials added.
In May, the Indian government issued an advisory under the IT Rules, 2021, directing all OTT platforms and digital intermediaries to cease hosting or streaming Pakistani content. The notice instructed platforms to remove films, web series, music, podcasts, and other digital material originating from Pakistan, stating such content must not jeopardize India's sovereignty, integrity, national security, or public order.
Following the brief reappearance of several accounts this week, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) issued an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a complete digital blackout of all Pakistani presence in India.
Calling the restored access an 'insult to the sacrifice of our martyred soldiers,' AICWA urged the government to:
The digital clampdown remains part of India's broader stance to tighten both cultural and cyber frontiers amid heightened national security concerns.
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