New Delhi: India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content, along with false and misleading narratives targeting India, its Army, and security agencies.
The decision was taken by the Government of India based on recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs following the tragic Pahalgam terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir.
The banned channels include Dawn News, Irshad Bhatti, SAMAA TV, ARY NEWS, BOL NEWS, Raftar, The Pakistan Reference, Geo News, Samaa Sports, GNN, Uzair Cricket, Umar Cheema Exclusive, Asma Shirazi, Muneeb Farooq, SUNO News HD, and Razi Naama.
These channels were found to be disseminating disinformation related to India’s national security, foreign relations, and public order. Together, these YouTube channels had a cumulative viewership of over 6.3080 crore.
They were spreading false and unverified information aimed at creating panic, inciting communal disharmony, and disturbing public order within India, according to an official statement.
The banned channels were posting fake news on various subjects, such as the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir, and India’s foreign relations in light of the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a related move, the official X handle of the Government of Pakistan had also been withheld by India following the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 innocent civilians and injured several others.
Following the deadly attack, India launched a strong diplomatic offensive, summoning Pakistan’s top diplomat in New Delhi, Saad Ahmad Warraich, and handing over a formal Persona Non Grata note for all Pakistani military attaches.
The moves are part of a series of sweeping retaliatory actions by India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the assault a “cowardly attack on innocent civilians.”
The attack, orchestrated by Pakistan-based terror outfit The Resistance Front, has triggered a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries.
In response to the attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), led by Prime Minister Modi, announced several stringent measures.
These include the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the Attari-Wagah border, cancellation of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, expulsion of Pakistan’s military attaches from New Delhi and a reduction in diplomatic staff at both High Commissions.