Ban on Pak news and social media channels, imposed during Op Sindoor, reversed

Pakistani news channels and social media accounts of celebrities that were banned during India's Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack have appeared again, suggesting that the restrictions have been lifted.

According to government sources, a review of the previously restricted social media accounts was recently conducted. Some of the reinstated platforms were found to have refrained from posting anti-India content for an extended period.

Sources added that while around 14,000 accounts across various platforms remain banned, such bans are not permanent. The government maintains that accounts are subject to regular reviews, as per sources.

The Instagram accounts of several Pakistani celebrities, including those of Saba Qamar, Mawra Hocane, Ahad Raza Mir, Hania Amir,



Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor, among others, which were banned by the government in a move to resent the April 22 attack, started becoming visible in India on Wednesday.

Even many YouTube channels run by Pakistani news media outlets like Hum TV, ARY Digital and Har Pal Geo were also made available to be streamed again.

Days after the attack in the Baisaran Valley, India had banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including Dawn News, Samaa TV, Ary News and Geo News, for reportedly spreading misinformation against India.

The YouTube channels were also banned from streaming in the country for churning out provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives against India, the Army and its security agencies. The banned channels had a subscriber base of 63 million in India.