WEBDESK: India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, following the Pahalgam attack. These Youtube channels include Dawn, ARY News, Samaa TV, Bol News, Geo News, Raftar, and Suno News.
In addition to Youtube channels individual Pakistani journalists like Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq also had their YouTube channels banned. Other accounts like The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Razi Naama were also taken down.
Indian Government stated that these Pakistani YouTube channels were pushing false narratives, misinformation, and content that could incite tensions between communities. As a result, when users try to access these channels in India, they now see a message stating the content is unavailable due to a government order for national security reasons.
The Indian government is implementing new IT laws from 2021 given their original purpose of social media regulation.
In addition to the crackdown on Pakistani YouTube channels, India has also issued a warning to the BBC over a controversial headline related to visa suspensions for Indians after the Kashmir attack.
The broader tension between India and Pakistan has worsened after the Pahalgam attack. India took actions against Pakistan by canceling the Indus Water Treaty and blocking all visa approvals for Pakistani citizens. The Pakistani leadership also hinted that they might end various existing agreements including the Simla Agreement.
