India bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels over misinformation and provocative content

New Delhi: The Government of India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly spreading provocative, communally sensitive content, and disinformation targeting India, its armed forces, and security agencies. The move follows recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

Among the banned channels are prominent names such as Dawn News, SAMAA TV, ARY News, BOL News, Geo News, and several individual creators and sports-related channels.

According to an official statement, these platforms were found to be disseminating false narratives and unverified information that could potentially incite communal tensions and disrupt public order.

The banned channels had a combined viewership exceeding 63 million. Authorities stated that the content promoted misleading stories about the Indian Army, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, and India’s foreign relations, particularly in the wake of the Pahalgam incident.

In a related development, India has also withheld access to the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Government of Pakistan, following the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 civilians and injured many others.

In response to the attack, India launched a robust diplomatic offensive. Pakistan’s top diplomat in New Delhi, Saad Ahmad Warraich, was summoned and handed a Persona Non Grata notice for all Pakistani military attachés.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack as a “cowardly assault on innocent civilians” and chaired a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting, which led to several major retaliatory actions. These include:

• Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty
• Closure of the Attari-Wagah border
• Cancellation of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals
• Expulsion of Pakistani military attachés from New Delhi
• Reduction of diplomatic staff in both countries’ High Commissions

The terror attack, carried out by The Resistance Front, a Pakistan-based outfit, has significantly heightened tensions between the two nations.