All Pakistani accounts on X have been blocked in India, following a brief period of accessibility in the past few days, as confirmed by official sources on July 3. This action is part of India’s increasing digital and diplomatic restrictions against Pakistan, which began after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, where 26 tourists lost their lives due to terrorists linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba’s proxy, The Resistance Front. In response to the attack, India enacted a series of retaliatory actions, including the suspension of the Indus Water Treaty and the initiation of Operation Sindoor, aimed at nine terror launch pads within Pakistan. Among these actions was a comprehensive crackdown on Pakistani media and social media content across platforms such as Instagram, X, YouTube, and others, affecting accounts of actors, cricketers, and internet influencers. Although several of these accounts had recently regained accessibility, leading to criticism and inquiries about their reinstatement, they have now been re-blocked. Users in India trying to access these profiles encounter a message that reads: “Account Withheld. (Name of the account) has been withheld in India in response to a legal demand.”
On July 2, users had momentarily accessed X and Instagram accounts of various Pakistani actors and internet personalities, including Mawra Hocane, Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor, along with YouTube channels operated by former cricketers Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar. However, accounts belonging to Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, and Hania Aamir remained blocked throughout this period. Furthermore, the ban on YouTube channels continues to be enforced, according to sources. Earlier in May, the Indian government released an advisory on May 8, 2025, instructing all OTT platforms and digital intermediaries to cease content originating from Pakistan. This advisory, issued under the IT Rules, 2021, emphasized that “content hosted or streamed must not threaten India’s sovereignty, integrity, national security, or public order.” It clearly directed media platforms to eliminate “web-series, films, songs, podcasts, and other streaming content” created in Pakistan, regardless of whether they are on subscription-based or free platforms. After a brief restoration of access to certain Pakistani accounts, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) urgently appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting a complete blackout of all Pakistani social media presence in India. The association described the visibility of such accounts as an “insult to the sacrifice of our martyred soldiers” and an “emotional assault” on Indians who have suffered losses due to terror attacks planned by Pakistan.
