Pakistani Celebrities’ Social Media Accounts Blocked Again in India After Brief Return
The social media accounts of several prominent Pakistani celebrities, including Hania Aamir, Mahira Khan, Shahid Afridi, Mawra Hocane, and Fawad Khan, have once again become inaccessible to users in India. The move comes just a day after these accounts briefly reappeared on platforms like Instagram and Twitter, sparking speculation that the earlier restrictions had been rolled back.
On Thursday morning, Indian users trying to access the Instagram profiles of these celebrities were met with a message stating: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.” Similar restrictions were observed on Twitter, further confirming that the ban had been reinstated.
The development has reignited public debate around digital censorship and geopolitical tensions that continue to affect content accessibility across borders. Just a day earlier, on July 2, several Pakistani celebrity accounts—including those of Saba Qamar, Yumna Zaidi, Ahad Raza Mir, and Danish Taimoor—had unexpectedly become visible again to Indian users. Along with celebrity profiles, several Pakistani YouTube channels such as Hum TV, ARY Digital, and Har Pal Geo had also reappeared online.
This sudden reappearance was widely noticed by fans and media watchers, many of whom took to social media to speculate that the Indian government had silently eased the restrictions. However, the return of the block by Thursday has confirmed that any lifting of the ban was either temporary or unintentional.
Notably, no official statement has been issued by the Government of India or the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting regarding the brief unblocking or the reimposition of restrictions. The lack of clarity has left users and industry observers guessing about the exact nature and legal basis of these content blocks.
The initial restrictions had reportedly been imposed following rising diplomatic and military tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly after India launched Operation Sindoor—a targeted strike on terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Several Pakistani celebrities had publicly criticized the operation, calling it provocative and aggressive. This drew sharp criticism from Indian social media users and sparked calls for a digital boycott of Pakistani content.
Shortly afterward, Indian authorities took action, and the Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube accounts of many Pakistani public figures and broadcasters became unavailable in India. This geoblocking, although not publicly acknowledged through an official notification, was widely understood to be a response to the political backlash and cross-border hostilities.
The reinstatement of the bans now suggests a renewed resolve by Indian authorities to control the flow of digital content from Pakistan, particularly when it involves figures or platforms that may be perceived as politically sensitive. The restrictions affect not just celebrity fan pages and entertainment content but also raise broader questions about access to cross-cultural exchange and the limits of digital censorship in democracies.
While the latest move may appease certain nationalist sentiments within India, it has also triggered disappointment among fans who follow Pakistani entertainment and admire its artists. Until an official clarification is issued, the uncertainty over digital access to Pakistani celebrities in India is likely to continue.
IT.
