In a major crackdown following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people dead, India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative, communally sensitive content and narratives against India, its Army, and security agencies, government sources said. In addition, Shoaib Akhtar’s separate YouTube channel, with over 3.5 million subscribers, has also been banned.
The banned platforms, which collectively have around 63 million subscribers, include major Pakistani news channels such as Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, and Suno News. YouTube channels run by journalists like Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq have also been blocked for Indian users. Other banned channels include The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Razi Naama.
Government sources said the action was taken on the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs after it was found that these channels were spreading misinformation, false narratives, and content designed to incite communal tensions, particularly in the aftermath of the Pahalgam tragedy, where 25 tourists and a local Kashmiri were killed in cold blood on April 22.
