May 02, 2025: Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s official YouTube channel has been banned in India. The platform now displays a message stating: “This content is unavailable in the country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order.”
The ban comes in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives—one of the deadliest incidents in the region since the 2019 Pulwama tragedy.
This move follows a broader crackdown by the Indian government on Pakistani digital platforms and personalities, prompted by national security concerns. Instagram accounts of several current and former Pakistani cricketers, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, and Mohammad Rizwan, have also been withheld in India.
Previously, YouTube channels of Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Kamran Akmal, and Basit Ali were also restricted. Furthermore, 16 Pakistani YouTube channels were banned earlier this week for spreading provocative content and misinformation targeting India, its Army, and security agencies.
The list includes major Pakistani media outlets such as Dawn News, ARY News, Geo News, BOL News, and SAMAA TV, as well as individual channels like Irsha Bhatti, Raftar, The Pakistan Reference, and Razi Naama.
The bans were enforced based on recommendations by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, citing violations involving national security and public order.