In a major crackdown on provocative online content, India has banned 16 YouTube channels originating from Pakistan for allegedly spreading communally sensitive and misleading information following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, according to government sources.
The ban was imposed based on recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs, just days after 26 people were brutally killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam. Among the platforms blocked are several leading Pakistani news outlets, including Geo News, Dawn, Raftar, Bol News, ARY News, Samaa TV, and Suno News. YouTube channels operated by prominent journalists such as Muneeb Farooq, Umar Cheema, Asma Shirazi, and Irshad Bhatti were also taken down. Other banned accounts include Uzair Cricket, The Pakistan Reference, Razi Naama, and Samaa Sports.
Collectively, these channels had amassed an impressive 63 million subscribers, underscoring the scale of the misinformation campaign targeting India. Officials noted that the content shared on these platforms aimed to stoke communal tensions and push false narratives against India’s Army and security agencies.
This move comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the tragic Pahalgam incident, one of the deadliest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir since the 2019 Pulwama bombing that killed 40 CRPF personnel.
The April 22 terror strike occurred in the scenic Baisaran meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam. Since then, teams from the National Investigation Agency (NIA), led by senior officers including an IG, DIG, and SP, have been stationed at the attack site. Investigators are aggressively collecting evidence and questioning eyewitnesses to piece together the sequence of events.
Meanwhile, the Indian Army remains on high alert across the region, launching intensive search operations to hunt down the terrorists responsible. The attack has triggered widespread outrage across the nation, with citizens staging protests and calling for tougher actions against Pakistan.
