New Delhi, April 29, 2025: India has intensified its crackdown on Pakistani digital media by blocking the YouTube channel of Express News, in the latest move targeting Pakistani outlets following the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
The channel was rendered inaccessible to Indian viewers on Tuesday, with a notice citing “an order from the government related to national security or public order.” This development follows a series of similar bans imposed a day earlier, when Indian authorities restricted access to multiple Pakistani YouTube channels — including prominent news outlets and independent journalists — over their coverage of the April 22 attack.
Critics view the move as part of an escalating effort by New Delhi to suppress dissenting narratives and control cross-border media content. Media rights advocates have condemned the decision as a sign of India’s growing intolerance for alternative perspectives, particularly from Pakistani sources, despite its democratic credentials.
While the channels are now geo-blocked in India, many users are reportedly bypassing the restrictions using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
The crackdown comes in the wake of the Pahalgam shooting, in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed — marking one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in the region in over two decades. India swiftly blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the attack, a charge Islamabad has categorically denied. Pakistan has instead called for a neutral, transparent investigation to determine the perpetrators.
Meanwhile, tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have soared. Diplomatic ties are rapidly deteriorating, with measures such as the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, visa revocations, and the closure of land borders.
Adding to the media clampdown, Indian authorities have reportedly expressed displeasure over the BBC’s coverage of the Kashmir attack. According to sources cited by RT, the Indian government has formally lodged a complaint with the BBC’s operations head, accusing the outlet of bias and irresponsible reporting.
As the information war between India and Pakistan intensifies alongside diplomatic and military tensions, international observers warn that curbs on press freedom and cross-border media engagement could deepen regional polarization and obscure the path to peaceful dialogue.
