India has recently blocked 16 prominent Pakistani YouTube channels, including major news platforms like Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Geo News, and Bol News, as well as content creators such as former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar. The ban, which affects around 63 million subscribers in India, comes after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, in which 26 people were killed in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Indian authorities claim the channels were spreading “provocative” content and false narratives aimed at inciting communal tensions.
The Ministry of Home Affairs in India accused the blocked channels of pushing “false narratives” against India and its military, while also targeting national security. However, critics argue that this move is a deliberate attempt to suppress dissenting views, particularly those coming from Pakistan, on critical regional issues like Kashmir. Independent Pakistani journalists and media outlets, including Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, and Umar Cheema, have been vocal about the growing trend of censorship in India.
Here’s a full list of Pakistani YouTube channels blocked by India:
1- Dawn News
2- Irshad Bhatti
3- SAMAA TV
4- ARY NEWS
5- BOL NEWS
6- Ratar
7- The Pakistan Reference
8- Geo News
9- Samaa Sports
10- GNN
11- Uzair Cricket
12- Umar Cheema Exclusive
13- Asma Shirazi
14- Muneeb Faroog
15- SUNO News
16- Razi Naama
Concerns over freedom of speech
The shutdown of these platforms has angered many in Pakistan, who view it as an effort to silence alternative viewpoints and restrict access to information on matters of national security. Pakistani media and digital channels have been crucial in providing counter-narratives to India’s state-controlled media, especially following the Pahalgam attack, which escalated already-high tensions over the Kashmir conflict.
Pakistan has long criticized India’s handling of the Kashmir issue, accusing it of human rights violations and atrocities in the region. The ban on Pakistani media platforms comes at a time when the two nuclear-armed nations are grappling with heightened tensions, particularly over the disputed Kashmir region.
India’s justification for the ban, citing the spreading of false narratives and incitement to violence, has been widely criticized by observers, who see the move as an attempt to control the flow of information and shape the narrative on contentious issues. This stance is also reflected in India’s response to the BBC’s coverage of the Pahalgam attack, where it demanded the outlet refrain from using the term “militants” to describe the attackers, further emphasizing India’s aggressive approach toward media that doesn’t align with its official version of events.
The recent actions have sparked concerns about media freedom in the region, with critics arguing that such censorship undermines freedom of expression and limits global engagement with diverse perspectives, especially in an era where digital platforms are critical for sharing news and opinions.
