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India has blocked 16 YouTube channels based in Pakistan for promoting provocative, communally sensitive, and misleading narratives targeting India, its Army, and security agencies.
The action was taken following recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs, after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
The list of banned channels includes prominent names such as:
- 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
Authorities found these platforms were spreading disinformation concerning India’s national security, foreign affairs, and public order.
Collectively, the channels had amassed a viewership of over 6.3080 crore.
An official statement revealed that the banned outlets had been circulating false and unverified claims intended to spark public panic, provoke communal tensions, and disrupt societal stability.
It was noted that fake news concerning the Indian Army, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, and India’s foreign relations after the Pahalgam attack was widely shared through these channels.
Separately, India also withheld access to the official X account of the Government of Pakistan, following the attack that claimed 28 civilian lives and left several injured.
In the aftermath of the violence, India summoned Pakistan’s senior diplomat in New Delhi, Saad Ahmad Warraich, and handed him a Persona Non Grata notice for all Pakistani military attaches.
These steps form part of broader retaliatory measures initiated by India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the Pahalgam attack as a ‘cowardly assault on innocent civilians’.
The attack, carried out by Pakistan-based terror group The Resistance Front, has significantly raised tensions between the two nations.
Decisions By Cabinet Committee On Security (CCS)
In a decisive response, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Modi, announced a range of strong measures.
These include:
- The suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty,
- The closure of the Attari-Wagah border,
- The cancellation of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals,
- The expulsion of Pakistan’s military attachés from New Delhi, and
- A reduction of diplomatic personnel at both countries’ High Commissions
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