Following the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty and other measures aimed at downgrading Pakistan, the Indian government has reportedly banned several Pakistani YouTube channels in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack. Based on recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the government banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including Dawn News, Samaa TV, Ary News, and Geo News. These channels were banned for spreading provocative and communal content, false narratives, and misinformation about India, its military, and security forces in connection with the tragic Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
The affected channels represent a wide spectrum of media outlets, including news, sports, and entertainment.
Here’s A Breakdown Of Channels Impacted By The Latest Directives:
- Dawn News (@dawnnewspakistan) – 1.96M Subscribers
- Irshad Bhatti (@IrshadBhatti01) – 827K Subscribers
- SAMAA TV (@Samaatv) – 12.7M Subscribers
- ARY NEWS (@ArynewsTvofficial) – 14.6M Subscribers
- BOL NEWS (@BOLNewsofficial) – 7.85M Subscribers
- Raftar (@raftartv) – 804K Subscribers
- The Pakistan Reference (@ThePakistanReference) – 288K Subscribers
- Geo News (@geonews) – 18.1M Subscribers
- Samaa Sports (@SamaaSports) – 73.5K Subscribers
- GNN (@gnnhdofficial) – 3.54M Subscribers
- Uzair Cricket (@UzairCricket786) – 288K Subscribers
- Umar Cheema Exclusive (@UmarCheemaExclusive) – 125K Subscribers
- Asma Shirazi (@AsmaShiraziofficial) – 133K Subscribers
- Muneeb Farooq (@muneebfarooqofficial) – 165K Subscribers
- SUNO News HD (@SUNONewsHD) – 1.36M Subscribers
- Razi Naama (@razinaama) – 270K Subscribers
Government Sends Letter To BBC
In related developments, a formal letter was sent to the BBC by the Indian High Commission, requesting clarification on the use of the term “militants” instead of “terrorists” in their reporting on the Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26.
Besides blocking the YouTube channels, there have been other incidents on social media that have caught attention. Specifically, the Indian government has been actively monitoring social media to combat the spread of false or misleading information. One incident involved the suspension of a Twitter account that posted a thread about creating fake Aadhaar cards, which is under investigation. Additionally, a WhatsApp message claiming false information about the Army Welfare Fund was also circulated, and the Indian Ministry of Defence responded by issuing a press release to clear up the misinformation.
