Srinagar: Sixteen Pakistani YouTube channels, collectively boasting 63 million subscribers, have been blocked in India for circulating provocative and communally sensitive material following the Pahalgam militant attack, government sources said. The action was taken based on recommendations from the Union Home Ministry.
Among the banned channels are those linked to major news outlets such as Dawn, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, and Suno News. Personal YouTube accounts of journalists Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq have also been taken down. Other restricted handles include The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Razi Naama.
Sources indicate that these channels were involved in spreading provocative narratives, misinformation, and communally charged content targeting India, its Army, and security forces, particularly at a time when relations between the two countries have further deteriorated after the Pahalgam tragedy, where militants killed 25 tourists and a Kashmiri civilian.
This attack marks one of the deadliest in the region since the 2019 Pulwama attack, which resulted in the deaths of 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans.
