India Imposes Ban on Pakistani YouTube Channels Following Pahalgam Attack

India has banned several Pakistani YouTube channels following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 individuals and injured many others. The decision by the government came on the advice of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which mentioned that there were concerns regarding the spread of 'provocative, communally sensitive content' and the dissemination of 'misleading narratives' against India, its armed forces, and security agencies.

The blocked channels include prominent Pakistani news channels like Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, Suno News, and The Pakistan Experience. Apart from these, the channels of popular solo creators like Wasay Habib, Arzoo Kazmi, Syed Muzammil Shah, cricketer Shoaib Akhtar, and journalists like Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq have also been blocked. The channels enjoyed a large Indian viewership, which now gets this message from YouTube: "This content is not available in this country due to a government order related to national security or public order".

The move comes as part of India's overall reaction to the Pahalgam attack. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has stepped up the probe, with teams deployed at the attack site since April 23, questioning eyewitnesses to collect crucial evidence. Concurrently, the Indian Army has also increased security along the border, conducting several search operations to neutralize terrorists in the area. Houses of terror operatives have also been razed as part of the operations.

This restriction on Pakistani YouTube channels is a measure taken by India to limit the spread of damaging content and uphold national security after the Pahalgam attack.