India has banned 16 major Pakistani news channels for allegedly spreading misinformation about India after the Pahalgam attack.
Following the Pahalgam terror incident, India has prohibited 16 Pakistani YouTube channels.
The attack took 26 lives. The Indian government said these channels spread inflammatory, communally sensitive material and misleading narratives against India, its military, and security forces.
The banned channels, which together account for approximately 63 million subscribers, include prominent Pakistani news outlets. Channels such as Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, and Suno News.
Additionally, they have restricted Shoaib Akhtar’s individual YouTube channel, which boasts over 3.5 million subscribers.
YouTube channels operated by journalists including Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq have also been blocked for users in India. Other restricted channels comprise The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Razi Naama.
Indian users trying to access the prohibited channels now encounter a message from YouTube. It states, ‘This content is currently unavailable in this country due to a government order concerning national security or public order. For further information regarding government removal requests, please refer to the Google Transparency Report.’
The government also criticized the BBC for its coverage of the Pahalgam terror attack. In a strongly worded communication to the news organization, the government expressed disapproval of the term ‘militants’. This word was used to describe the terrorists who opened fire in the Baisaran valley.
The government will persist in monitoring the BBC’s reporting on this matter. In an article titled ‘Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack,’ the BBC labeled the incident as a ‘militant attack,’ which led the Narendra Modi administration to address a letter to the BBC’s India head, Jackie Martin.