Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Shahid Afridi’s Accounts Banned Again: Why Did India Lift the Ban for Just 24 Hours?
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, relations between India and Pakistan have seen severe strain. Amid this, the restrictions on some Pakistani celebrities’ social media accounts were lifted. However, just a day later, these accounts were banned once again.
Fawad Khan, Mahira, and Shahid Afridi… Pakistani celebrities’ accounts banned again within 24 hours: Recently, Instagram and Twitter accounts of Pakistani artists like Mahira Khan, Mawra Hocane, Yumna Zaidi, Hania Aamir, and Fawad Khan briefly became visible again in India. However, on Thursday morning, restrictions were reimposed on all these accounts. Additionally, Pakistani YouTube channels such as Hum TV, ARY Digital, and Har Pal Geo were accessible in India for some time on July 2, but these channels are now unavailable once again.
There has been no official statement from the government on this matter so far. However, former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal questioned the temporary lifting of the ban, saying, “If Operation Sindoor is our top priority, then why was the ban lifted? Have those accounts, which were spreading anti-India content, suddenly become friendly?”
It is worth noting that following the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian government, under ‘Operation Sindoor’, banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for broadcasting anti-India content. These included major names like Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, and Geo News. This development has once again brought India-Pakistan digital relations and cyber strategy into the spotlight. The next steps and the government’s official stance are awaited.