India reimposes ban on Pakistani celebrities’ social media accounts after brief access

India has once again restricted access to the social media accounts of several high-profile Pakistani celebrities and YouTube channels, just a day after some accounts were briefly accessible due to what Indian authorities described as a “technical glitch.”

On Thursday, accounts belonging to prominent actors such as Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, and Hania Aamir remained inaccessible to users in India. Earlier, accounts of Mawra Hocane, Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor were briefly visible on Wednesday before access was blocked again.

Additionally, the YouTube channels of former cricketers Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar, as well as several Pakistani television networks, were temporarily restored before being restricted once more.

Indian social media users reported that the content had once again been geo-restricted.

When attempting to access the accounts, users encountered a message stating: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”

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The move follows a deadly attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), where 26 people—mostly tourists—were killed. India has accused Pakistan of supporting the perpetrators, a claim Islamabad has strongly denied.

The original bans on Pakistani accounts were imposed shortly after the incident. The action coincided with public criticism from several Pakistani celebrities, including Fahad Mustafa, Hina Altaf, and Ushna Shah, who condemned Indian strikes that reportedly hit mosques and civilian areas.

While India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has yet to issue a formal statement, sources quoted by India Today attributed the brief restoration of access to a technical oversight, which they claim has since been rectified.