From Hania to Mahira, Instagram accounts of Pak celebs blocked in India

Instagram has blocked several Pakistani celebrities' accounts in India after the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26. The move follows a broader crackdown amid rising Indo-Pak tensions

In the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed 26 lives, Instagram has restricted access to several prominent Pakistani celebrities’ accounts in India. The move is part of a broader digital and diplomatic crackdown by New Delhi.

 

Instagram profiles of actors such as Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, Ali Zafar, Sanam Saeed, Bilal Abbas, Iqra Aziz, Imran Abbas, and Sajal Aly are no longer accessible in India. Users attempting to visit their pages are greeted with the message: "Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content."

 

 

While these accounts are now blocked, those of some other Pakistani artists, including Fawad Khan and Wahaj Ali, remain visible from India — indicating selective enforcement, possibly linked to specific legal directives.

Pahalgam attack: Government's online crackdown

The development follows the Indian government’s decision earlier this week to ban 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major broadcasters such as Geo News, Dawn News, ARY News, and Samaa TV. These platforms were accused of circulating “provocative and communally sensitive content” and misinformation targeting Indian institutions, especially in the wake of the Pahalgam attack. 

 

The YouTube channel run by former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar, which had over 3.5 million subscribers, was also taken down in India.

Pahalgam attack

The restrictions on digital content come amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the brutal terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region. On April 22, terrorists targeted a group of tourists at Baisaran meadow, a popular destination near the town.  

 

Twenty-six people were killed in the ambush, 25 of them Indian nationals — predominantly Hindus — and one from Nepal. Survivors recounted that the attackers singled out individuals, questioned their religion, and executed them at close range. 

 

The incident coincided with US Vice President JD Vance’s visit to India, drawing international attention.

Pahalgam attack: Diplomatic, strategic retaliation

A day after the massacre, India launched a series of retaliatory measures aimed at isolating Pakistan. These included:

• Suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, a decades-old agreement on water-sharing between the two countries.  
• Closure of the Attari-Wagah land border, halting all overland movement between India and Pakistan.  
• Downgrading of diplomatic ties, including a reduction in staff at both countries’ high commissions.  
• Visa cancellations for Pakistani nationals.  

India also claimed to have identified three Pakistani nationals involved in the attack, pointing to their digital footprints as evidence of cross-border complicity.

 

In response, Pakistan shut its airspace to Indian aircraft and suspended all bilateral trade, including indirect trade routed through third countries. Islamabad also rejected India's move to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty, warning that any such action would be viewed as an “act of war”.