The Indian government has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major news outlets like Dawn News and ARY News, accusing them of spreading provocative content. Former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar’s channel, with over 3.5 million subscribers was also restricted, according to the Firstpost.
The action follows a terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, in which 26 tourists were killed. Officials said the banned channels were found disseminating misinformation aimed at inciting communal tensions, based on recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Individual channels owned by Pakistani journalists Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq were also attacked, as were channels such as The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Razi Naama.
As stated by the Firstpost, the Indian government sent a strongly worded letter to the BBC, protesting to the portrayal of the Pahalgam attackers as "militants" in its reporting. Authorities stated that they will closely examine the BBC's future coverage on the matter.
