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India Bans 16 Pakistani YouTube Channels Amid Kashmir Tensions
India blocks 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major news outlets, citing "national security" after Kashmir attack. Pakistan denies involvement.
ND
by News Desk
2025-04-28
India Bans 16 Pakistani YouTube Channels Amid Kashmir Tensions

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD: Amid rising tensions between India and Pakistan after the recent Pahalgam attack in occupied Kashmir, the Indian government has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, according to reports from Pakistani and Indian media outlets.

The ban, recommended by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, came into effect on Monday. Those affected include the YouTube channels of major Pakistani news outlets such as Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Geo News, Bol News, Suno News, and Raftar.

Prominent journalists including Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, Muneeb Farooq, and Rizwan Razi have also seen their channels blocked within India.

Additionally, former Pakistan cricket star Shoaib Akhtar’s channel and the cricket commentary platform Uzair Cricket were blocked. Shehzad Ghias's podcast platform, The Pakistan Experience, was also targeted, prompting a sharp reaction from the creator, who questioned whether a minor podcast could pose a national security risk.

A notice displayed when attempting to access these channels in India cited "an order from the government related to national security or public order" as the reason for the block.

The move follows the deadly attack in Pahalgam on April 22, which left 26 people dead, mostly tourists. A little-known group, The Resistance Front (TRF), allegedly claimed responsibility for the attack — one of the deadliest in Kashmir since 2000.

While India has suggested cross-border involvement without offering concrete evidence, Pakistan has strongly denied any role. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a neutral, international probe into the incident to ensure transparency.

Indian authorities claim the banned YouTube channels were spreading “false narratives” against the Indian state, its army, and security agencies, accusing them of attempting to incite communal tensions. Indian news agency ANI released the full list of blocked channels on its X account.

Adding to the escalation, Indian media also reported on April 24 that the Pakistani government's official X (formerly Twitter) account was blocked for users in India.

So far, no Pakistani government official has commented publicly on the blocking of the media channels.

The latest developments underline the growing digital and diplomatic fallout between the two South Asian neighbours, with freedom of expression increasingly caught in the crossfire.
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