The Indian government has lifted its ban on several Pakistani YouTube entertainment channels and Instagram accounts of prominent Pakistani actors, months after imposing restrictions in the wake of a deadly terror attack.
The move comes after the government had, in April 2025, blocked access to numerous Pakistani digital platforms following an attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam region that claimed 26 lives. Authorities at the time said the ban was part of a broader national security response aimed at curbing misinformation and provocative cross-border narratives.
The April crackdown had impacted major news channels such as Dawn News, Geo News, ARY News, Samaa TV, GNN, and Suno News HD. It also extended to entertainment platforms and personal channels of high-profile figures including former cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Basit Ali.
Now, several prominent entertainment platforms such as ARY Digital, Hum TV, Har Pal Geo, Green TV Entertainment, and ARY Digital HD have reportedly been unblocked and are accessible to Indian users once again.
In addition, the Instagram accounts of Pakistani celebrities including Yumna Zaidi, Ahad Raza Mir, Mawra Hocane, Danish Taimoor, Ameer Gilani, and Azaan Sami Khan are also viewable again from India.
So far, the Indian government has not issued any official statement explaining the reason for the selective reversal. It remains unclear whether the move signals a broader easing of digital restrictions or is limited to non-news content.
