India blocks 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, objects to BBC reporting

The Indian government on Monday banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content, along with false and misleading narratives aimed at targeting India, its Army, and security agencies. This decision comes after the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The move was made on the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, following the attack that led to the loss of innocent lives. The banned channels include prominent names like 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.
These channels were found to be disseminating false and unverified information related to India’s national security, foreign relations, and public order. Collectively, they had a massive reach, with a cumulative viewership exceeding 63.08 million. The content spread by these channels aimed to create panic, fuel communal tensions, and disrupt public order within India, according to an official statement. The banned channels were particularly active in spreading fake news about topics such as the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir, and India’s foreign relations in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
Following the attack, India launched a strong diplomatic response by summoning Pakistan’s top diplomat in New Delhi, Saad Ahmad Warraich, and issuing a Persona Non Grata notice to all Pakistani military attaches. This action is part of a broader series of retaliatory measures taken by India, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the assault as a “cowardly attack on innocent civilians.”
The government has also objected to the reporting of the BBC on the Peshawar terror attack and conveyed the country’s strong sentiments to India’s BBC head. A formal letter has also been sent to the BBC on the terming of terrorists as militants. The External Affairs Ministry will be monitoring the reporting of the BBC. The Hindu American Foundation and the US House Foreign Affairs Committee have also expressed concerns over such terminology, emphasising the need to accurately label acts of terrorism.