Following the barbaric terror attack in Pahalgam, J&K, on April 22, 2025, that claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians, the Indian government has launched a multi-dimensional counterstrike not just against terrorist infrastructure and diplomatic channels, but also on the invisible frontlines of information warfare. Under the aegis of Operation Sindoor, India has initiated a massive digital crackdown on Pakistani propaganda machines masquerading as media and entertainment.
In a first-of-its-kind coordinated cyber-response, India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels with a combined subscriber base of over 63 million, alongside blocking access to Instagram accounts of over 20 prominent Pakistani celebrities, accusing them of amplifying disinformation, propaganda, and anti-India sentiment in the wake of the deadly Pahalgam massacre.
The Context: April 22 Pahalgam Terror Attack
The terror attack in Pahalgam, a peaceful pilgrimage hub in Kashmir, shocked the nation. Heavily armed Pakistani-backed terrorists ambushed civilian convoys, killing 26 civilians and injuring dozens more. It marked the deadliest civilian-targeted terror attack in the valley since Pulwama 2019.
Initial intelligence reports pointed to cross-border planning, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri presented detailed evidence to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on April 23, prompting immediate retaliatory action across all fronts.
Digital Clampdown: The YouTube ban
On April 27, 2025, the Indian government, acting on inputs from RAW, MHA, and the National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC), blocked access to 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including:
- Dawn News
- Samaa TV
- ARY News
- Geo News
- Hum TV
- Bol Network
- 24 News HD
- Shoaib Akhtar Official Channel
These channels, according to official briefings, were disseminating highly provocative, communal, and fabricated content targeting India’s internal peace, military morale, and global image. The content included:
- Misrepresentation of India’s counterterrorism operations
- Communally loaded narratives targeting Hindu festivals and institutions
- False claims about Indian Army human rights violations
- Amplification of fabricated stories about “Kashmir genocide” and “Modi dictatorship”
According to intelligence reports reviewed by media, several of these channels were receiving direct or indirect support from Pakistan’s ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations)—a long-accused player in hybrid warfare and media manipulation.
Banning Celebrity Influence: The Instagram offensive
The ban didn’t stop at news propaganda. Recognising the psychological impact of celebrity-led soft influence, the Indian government expanded its crackdown to social media personalities on Instagram, a platform widely used by Indian youth.
On May 2, 2025, India blocked access to Instagram handles of top Pakistani influencers, including:
- Atif Aslam (Singer)
- Babar Azam (Cricketer)
- Shahid Afridi (Former Cricketer)
- Fawad Khan (Actor)
- Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, Ali Zafar, Sanam Saeed, Iqra Aziz, Sajal Aly, Imran Abbas, Momina Mustehsan, Bilal Abbas, and others
Many of these celebrities had posted vague but suggestive political messages, “liked” propaganda content, or were found interacting with known anti-India accounts post-Pahalgam. India’s intelligence networks flagged these as part of “soft narrative warfare”, which aims to exploit cross-border fandoms for political manipulation.
In a sudden twist, on July 2, 2025, several of the banned YouTube channels and Instagram accounts became visible again in India, triggering widespread confusion and outrage across social media.
Instagram handles of Yumna Zaidi, Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Danish Taimoor, Mawra Hocane, Dananeer Mobeen, and others were briefly accessible. On YouTube, channels like Hum TV and Shoaib Akhtar’s Official Channel reappeared in search results.
This led to speculation about a rollback, and even #IndiaUnblocksPakistan trended for several hours.
Clarification from MeitY, “This was a temporary visibility caused by a technical glitch. It was not policy-driven. The enforcement tools have now been recalibrated, and any visibility lapses will be patched swiftly,” said a senior official from the Ministry of Electronics and IT.
Cybersecurity experts have noted that platform-level blocking (Geo-IP based) can sometimes misfire due to server-level inconsistencies or DNS refresh delays. YouTube and Meta platforms often require repeated enforcements unless global takedown notices are issued—something India may soon explore under emergency national security provisions.
Beyond the digital front, the Pahalgam attack has completely ruptured India-Pakistan diplomatic channels.
On April 23, India:
- Downgraded diplomatic ties
- Expelled Pakistani military attachés
- Suspended the Indus Water Treaty
- Closed the Attari-Wagah land border
On April 24, Pakistan retaliated by:
- Suspending the 1972 Simla Agreement
- Blocking airspace for Indian airlines
- Pausing all trade
- Declaring any Indus diversion an act of war
The shutting down of the Indus Water Treaty, a symbol of post-Partition cooperation, marks a historic rupture, with experts terming it the end of peacetime illusions between the two nuclear neighbours.
In parallel, India has lodged a formal protest against BBC’s terminology during its Peshawar terror coverage. By referring to Islamic terrorists as “militants,” the BBC, India argues, whitewashes radical violence and confuses global perception.
“We have conveyed our strong objection to BBC’s India head and will monitor all future reporting closely,” said an official from the Ministry of External Affairs. This reflects India’s sharpened stance against international media narratives it deems biased, colonial, or compromised by left-liberal echo chambers that often undermine Indian sovereignty.
The message is clear: In the face of terror, narrative manipulation will be treated as an act of hybrid aggression. With Operation Sindoor, India is asserting that battles are no longer just fought on borders but in newsrooms, reels, and YouTube studios. From hard borders to soft influence, the Indian state has declared zero tolerance for cross-border misinformation, especially when civilian lives are lost.
“The blood of our people is not for sale on foreign platforms. Whether they come with guns or gossip, they will be confronted,” a top Indian cyber-security official told media.
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