On April 22, 2025, a tragic terror attack occurred in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, claiming 26 lives.
Following the attack, the Indian Government took strict actions against misinformation and propaganda coming from across the border.
One major step: Banning 16 Pakistani YouTube channels within India.
🚫 Why Were These YouTube Channels Banned?
- The Indian government accused these channels of:
- Spreading misinformation about the Pahalgam attack.
- Promoting communal hatred.
- Targeting Indian security forces through false narratives.
- The action was taken under the IT Rules 2021 and the Information Technology Act 2000 (Section 69A).
📋 Full List of Banned Pakistani YouTube Channels
Some of the key channels banned include:
- News Outlets: Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Geo News, Bol News, GNN, Suno News, Raftar, The Pakistan Reference.
- Individual Creators: Shoaib Akhtar (former cricketer), Wasay Habib, Arzoo Kazmi, Syed Muzammil Shah, Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, Muneeb Farooq, Uzair Cricket.
👉 Collectively, these channels had over 63 million subscribers — a significant portion of viewers were from India.
Here is the list of youtube channels_click here
🌍 Impact of This Ban
- National Security: The government aims to prevent the spread of provocative content during sensitive times.
- Diplomatic Tensions: This adds more strain to India-Pakistan relations, already tense after the attack.
- Content Regulation: It shows India’s firm approach to regulating digital platforms.
📜 Related Actions
After the Pahalgam incident, India also:
- Suspended the Indus Waters Treaty.
- Closed the Attari-Wagah border checkpoint.
- Blocked the X (formerly Twitter) account of the Government of Pakistan inside India.
- SAARC Visa Exemption scheme cancelled for pakistani nationals
- Defence Attaches declared persona non grata
- Existing visa revoked
- No more medical visas
📚 Sources
📝 Disclaimer
This article is based on publicly available news reports. It is for informational purposes only and does not promote hate speech or misinformation.