India has blocked access to several popular Pakistani entertainment channels on YouTube, including ARY Digital, Har Pal Geo, and Hum TV, following the April 22 attack in Pahalgam. The decision, reportedly made on the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs, has sparked concern among viewers and content creators across both countries.
These channels, known for their emotional storytelling and concise serial formats, had built large Indian followings over the years. Affected pages now show a message stating: “This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order.”
This action follows a similar move by Instagram, which recently restricted access to several Pakistani celebrities’ accounts for Indian users. Prominent names like Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, and Ali Zafar were among those impacted. When Indian users attempted to view their profiles, they were met with the notice: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”
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These developments align with earlier content restrictions imposed by the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which had already blocked Pakistani news and media outlets such as Express News, Dawn News, Geo News, Samaa TV, and ARY News. Even personal YouTube channels like that of former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar were affected.
The moves reflect rising digital content barriers between the two nations, with national security cited as the driving factor.
