New Delhi, April 28, 2025: India has blocked access to more than a dozen Pakistani YouTube channels following their reporting on the Pahalgam incident, which challenged the Modi government’s narrative surrounding the attack.
The banned channels, including major news outlets and independent journalists, had highlighted discrepancies in official Indian accounts of the April 22 attack in the Pahalgam area of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), prompting Indian authorities to accuse them of spreading “misleading and provocative content.” However, no specific examples of misinformation were publicly cited.
Collectively, the restricted channels had a combined subscriber base of over 66 million.
The list of affected channels includes:
- Geo News — 18.1 million subscribers
- ARY News — 14.6 million subscribers
- Samaa TV — 12.7 million subscribers
- Bol News — 7.85 million subscribers
- ShoaibAkhtar100mph — 3.81 million subscribers
- GNN — 3.54 million subscribers
- Dawn News TV — 1.96 million subscribers
- Suno News HD — 1.36 million subscribers
- Irshad Bhatti — 829k subscribers
- Raftar — 805k subscribers
- Muneeb Farooq — 165k subscribers
- Asma Shirazi — 133k subscribers
- Umar Cheema Exclusive — 125k subscribers
- Pakistan Reference — 288k subscribers
- Uzair Cricket — 288k subscribers
- Razi Nama — 270k subscribers
- Samaa Sports — 73.5k subscribers
The move comes amid heightened tensions after the deadly incident in Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed at a tourist site. India accused Pakistani elements of involvement without presenting evidence — a claim strongly denied by Islamabad.
Escalating the standoff, India’s Cabinet Committee on Security, on April 23, approved several retaliatory measures, including the closure of the Wagah-Attari land transit point, issuing a travel advisory against visiting Pakistan, and notifying Islamabad of the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty.
In response, Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC) on April 24 warned that any attempt by India to disrupt water flows would be considered an act of war. Pakistan also announced the closure of the Wagah border crossing.
On April 25, the Senate of Pakistan unanimously passed a resolution rejecting India’s accusations as “baseless and politically motivated.”
Tensions further escalated when the Pakistani High Commission in London was vandalized on April 26 during protests by Indian demonstrators, resulting in property damage, including broken windows and saffron paint being thrown at the building. British police arrested two individuals linked to the vandalism.
Pakistan has since accused India of backing the attacks on its diplomatic mission. Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar condemned the incidents, labeling them acts orchestrated by “Indian state and agencies.”
