A few days after the Pahalgam attack, the Indian government banned at least 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading "provocative and communally sensitive" content targeting India. The government also restricted the YouTube channel of former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar, which had more than 3.5 million subscribers. The Indian government has also banned several primary Pakistani news channels, which are often criticised for promoting Pakistan's aggressive rhetoric. This action came just days after terrorists killed 26 tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir, an attack that shocked India. The incident sparked a major diplomatic conflict between India and Pakistan, with both countries halting key agreements.

The banned YouTube channels include Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, Suno News, and those of journalists like Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq. Other channels banned are The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket, and Razi Naama.

In addition, the government issued a “strongly worded” letter to the BBC regarding its coverage of the Pahalgam attack. The letter raised objections to the use of the term ‘militants’ to describe the terrorists who opened fire in the Baisaran valley and stated that the government would closely monitor the news agency’s reporting on the issue. In an article titled “Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack,” the BBC described the terror attack as a “militant attack,” which led the government to send a letter to BBC India head Jackie Martin.

According to a source familiar with the situation, the channels were blocked based on recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs. It was found that these channels were spreading misinformation and false narratives, with content aimed at stirring communal tensions, especially following the terror attack.

Suppose a user in India tries to access these channels. In that case, they will receive a message from YouTube stating, "This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order. For more details about government removal requests, please visit the Google Transparency Report." It is not clear how long the blocks will last.