The Government of India, acting on the recommendation of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for disseminating provocative, communally sensitive content and anti-India propaganda. This decision follows the tragic terrorist attack on April 22, 2025, near the Baisaran Meadow in Pahalgam, J&K, in which 26 lives were lost, and is a significant escalation in the already fraught diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan.
The banned platforms include some of Pakistan’s most influential news outlets and independent journalists with a combined total of over 63 million subscribers. Among the most prominent names in the list are channels like Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Geo News, and Bol News. These platforms have been accused of spreading false, misleading, and inflammatory content that casts doubt on India’s sovereignty, maligns its military forces, and fosters communal discord. Other channels like Raftar, Suno News, The Pakistan Reference, and Uzair Cricket were also included in the crackdown, signaling a broader effort by the Indian government to tackle the influence of Pakistani media on social platforms.
On the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of India has banned the 16 Pakistani YouTube channels including Dawn News, Samaa TV, Ary News, Geo News for disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives and… pic.twitter.com/AusR1fCkvN
— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2025
While the attack itself has heightened calls for stronger action against Pakistan, the spread of provocative content across digital platforms has been a growing concern for Indian authorities. In the wake of the Pahalgam attack, Pakistani news outlets and commentators seized the opportunity to amplify anti-India narratives, claiming that the Indian government and its security agencies were responsible for escalating violence in Kashmir. The false claims were supported by inflammatory rhetoric aimed at depicting India’s military operations as heavy-handed and unjustified.
In addition, action has taken against social media posts that allegedly misrepresented the situation.
As per sources, a formal complaint was lodged with the BBC after concerns were raised about the portrayal of the Pahalgam incident, particularly regarding the terminology used for terrorists in their reportage
A formal letter was issued to the BBC India Head, and monitoring of BBC’s reporting will continue. The Indian government reiterated its commitment to combating misinformation that threatens national security and communal harmony.
Alongside the ban, Indian government have also moved to deport Pakistani nationals from the country. A mass exodus of Pakistani diplomats and nationals, including officials from the Pakistani High Commission in Delhi, was witnessed at the Attari-Wagah border crossing. Between April 24 and April 27, 537 Pakistani nationals, including nine diplomats, were sent back to Pakistan. Simultaneously, 850 Indian nationals, including 14 diplomats, returned from Pakistan, as diplomatic tensions continued to escalate.
The Pahalgam terror strike, one of the deadliest since the 2019 Pulwama attack, has been widely condemned across India. In a scathing statement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed the “harshest” response to the perpetrators of the attack. Addressing the nation in his monthly “Mann Ki Baat” radio broadcast, Modi declared that the terrorists’ efforts to destabilize Kashmir would be met with unwavering resolve. “The whole world stands with 140 crore Indians in our fight against terrorism,” he said, assuring the affected families that justice would prevail.
He also emphasised that the perpetrators of the attack would face the full force of India’s security apparatus, with the country’s resolve to tackle terrorism “stronger than ever.”
The NIA took over the case five days after the incident and four days after its team visited the attack site and started supporting the Jammu and Kashmir Police in probing what is considered the deadliest assault on civilians in the region in almost twenty years.
NIA teams, which have been camping at the Pahalgam terror attack site since Wednesday, have intensified the search for evidence.
The NIA teams, overseen by an IG, a DIG and an SP from the anti-terror agency, are examining the eyewitnesses who had seen the horrifying attack unfold before their eyes at the peaceful and picturesque Baisaran valley.
The eyewitnesses are being questioned in minute detail to piece together the sequence of events that led to one of the worst terror attacks in Kashmir. The NIA team reached attack site Baisaran on April 23– a day after terrorists gunned down a group of tourists in the picturesque meadow, which is located around five kilometres from Pahalgam town in Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Meanwhile, the entry and exit points are being closely scrutinised by the investigating NIA teams for clues to the modus operandi of the terrorists. The NIA teams, aided by forensic and other experts, are checking the entire area thoroughly for evidence to expose the terror conspiracy that led to the horrendous attack that has shocked the nation.
NIA’s investigation in the case is significant as 26 tourists, including one Nepali citizen, have lost their lives and over three dozen were injured at Baisaran meadow, near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam, with the clear hand of three Pakistani terrorists and two local terrorists.
The NIA team is expected to conduct a thorough assessment of the attack site, collect forensic evidence, and help in identifying those responsible for the carnage.
