The Government of India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly spreading communally sensitive content and misinformation targeting India. The action follows recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs, according to reports by ANI.
The banned channels include major Pakistani news outlets such as Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, and Geo News, among others. Collectively, these channels had a subscriber base of over 63 million users.
The move comes in the wake of the recent terror attack at Baisaran Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, where several Indian tourists were killed. Authorities stated that the blocked channels were involved in circulating provocative narratives against India, its armed forces, and security agencies, particularly after the attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has yet to specify the duration or timeline of the ban.
Full List of Banned Pakistani YouTube Channels:
- Dawn News (1.96M subscribers)
- Irshad Bhatti (827K)
- Samaa TV (12.7M)
- ARY News (14.6M)
- BOL News (7.85M)
- Raftar (804K)
- The Pakistan Reference (288K)
- Geo News (18.1M)
- Samaa Sports (73.5K)
- GNN (3.54M)
- Uzair Cricket (288K)
- Umar Cheema Exclusive (125K)
- Asma Shirazi (133K)
- Muneeb Farooq (165K)
- SUNO News HD (1.36M)
- Razi Naama (270K)
This action reflects the government's ongoing measures to curb the dissemination of false narratives and sensitive misinformation through online platforms, particularly in the aftermath of national security incidents.
