Why India Blocked Dawn, Shoaib Akhtar’s ‘100mph’ And 14 Other YouTube Channels After Pahalgam Attack

The banned platforms include YouTube channels of news outlets such as Dawn, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, and Suno News. Channels of journalists Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq have also been blocked, along with The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Razi Naama.

India blocks Dawn, Shoaib Akhtar’s ‘100mph’ and others after Pahalgam terror attack.

Sixteen Pakistani YouTube channels, including that of cricketer Shoaib Akhtar, with a combined 63 million subscribers, have been banned in India for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content after the Pahalgam terror attack, based on recommendations from the Union Home Ministry, government sources said.
The banned platforms include YouTube channels of news outlets such as Dawn, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, and Suno News. Channels of journalists Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq have also been blocked, along with The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Razi Naama.

Why A Ban On Pakistani YouTube Channels In India?

According to government sources, the Pakistani YouTube channels were “disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies” amid heightened tensions between the two countries following the Pahalgam terror attack, where terrorists killed 26 tourists.
“This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order. For more details about government removal requests, please visit the Google Transparency Report (transparencyreport.google.com),” the message read on YouTube upon opening either of these banned YouTube channels.

List Of Pakistani YouTube Channels Now Banned In India

  1. Dawn News
  2. Irshad Bhatti
  3. SAMAA TV
  4. ARY NEWS
  5. BOL NEWS
  6. Ratar
  7. The Pakistan Reference
  8. Geo News
  9. Samaa Sports
  10. GNN
  11. Uzair Cricket
  12. Umar Cheema Exclusive
  13. Asma Shirazi
  14. Muneeb Faroog
  15. SUNO News
  16. Razi Naama

Notably, this comes after the government’s non-military actions against Pakistan.

Just a day after the dastardly Pahalgam terror attack, India suspended its water sharing agreement with Pakistan under the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960, shut down its only operational land border at Attari and gave a 48-hour deadline to all Pakistani nationals to leave India. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), approved two more punitive actions against Pakistan, bringing the total number of measures to 7.

India’s Tough Measures Against Pakistan

1. Indus Waters Treaty Suspended: The Indus Waters Treaty – brokered by the World Bank in 1960, to help govern water sharing between India and Pakistan, was suspended immediately by New Delhi after the Pahalgam terror attack. The Indus Waters Treaty governs the distribution and use of the Indus water and its tributaries – the Ravi, Beas, Sutlej, Jhelum and Chenab on the left bank, and the Kabul river on the right bank. India has told Pakistan the Treaty will remain suspended unless Pakistan credibly revokes all support to cross-border terrorism.
2. Diplomats Expelled, Pakistan High Commission Cut To Size: India expelled three of Pakistan’s military attaches and also told Islamabad to downsize its High Commission from a staff strength of 55 to 30.
3. 48-Hour Deadline: India issued a 48-hour deadline to all Pakistani nationals to leave India. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also said that Pakistani nationals will not be allowed to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES).
4. Attari-Wagah Border Shut: India shut down the only operational land border with Pakistan at Attari-Wagah with immediate effect. At the two-and-a half hour long CCS meet, it was decided to close the Integrated Check Post at the border, with India setting May 1 as the deadline for all those who had crossed over with valid documents to go back.
5. “Persona Non Grata”: India declared all “defence, military, naval and air advisors” in the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as “persona non grata”. They have been given a week’s time to leave India. At the same time, India has also withdrawn its own defence, navy and air advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
6. Visas Cancelled: Issuing a 48-hour deadline to all Pakistani nationals to leave the country, India cancelled all valid visas with effect from April 27. All medical visas will be valid only till April 29.
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