In a major crackdown, India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels with a combined subscriber base of 63 million for disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content after the Pahalgam terror attack, government sources said. The action was taken on the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The banned platforms include prominent news outlets such as Dawn, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, and Suno News. YouTube channels run by Pakistani journalists Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq have also been blocked. Other banned handles are The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Razi Naama.
Government sources said these channels were spreading false narratives, misinformation against India, and sensitive content targeting India’s Army and security forces at a time when relations between the two countries are already strained following the attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
On April 22, terrorists opened fire at a group of tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen. The brutal attack has been described as one of the deadliest in the region since the 2019 Pulwama strike.
The ban comes as part of a broader effort by the Indian government to counter misinformation and maintain communal harmony in the aftermath of the tragic incident.