India blocks Pakistani celebrities social media accounts again

Cites 'technical glitch' as reason for accounts being briefly accessible for Indian users

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India has once again blocked the social media accounts of several prominent Pakistani celebrities and Youtube channels, just a day after some accounts were briefly accessible due to what Indian officials called a “technical glitch”.

Accounts belonging to Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan and Hania Aamir remained restricted on Thursday, while those of Mawra Hocane, Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor were briefly visible to users in India on Wednesday before being restricted again.

The YouTube channels of former cricketers Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar along with many tv channels were also temporarily restored.

Many users in India reported on social media that they were unable to access the accounts once again.

According to Indian media, users once again receive a message stating, “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content” when accessing Pakistani accounts.

The bans come in the aftermath of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed. India has accused Pakistan of backing the attackers. Pakistan has vehemently denied Indian accusations.

Read: Pakistani celebrities use satire to mock India's social media ban

The initial wave of account bans coincided with this conflict as several Pakistani celebrities including Fahad Mustafa, Hina Altaf and Ushna Shah criticised Indian attack that hit mosques and civilian homes.

India’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has not issued a formal explanation, but sources told India Today the temporary access was due to a technical error and has now been corrected.

Officials added that roughly 14,000 accounts remain banned and will be reviewed periodically based on compliance with India’s digital regulations and national security laws.

Read more: Hania Aamir refutes falsely-attributed statement on Pahalgam attack

Separately, actor Hania Aamir, featured in Sardaar Ji 3 opposite Diljit Dosanjh, recently became the focus of renewed backlash after Indian media questioned her casting amid heightened cross-border tensions. Producers later clarified she was signed before the hostilities began.

In a interview with Haroon Rashid of the BBC Asian Network, Diljit Dosanjh addressed the backlash surrounding the casting of Hania Aamir in Sardaar Ji 3, saying, "When this film was being made, the [political] situation was fine. When we shot this film in February, everything was fine. But a lot of big things are not in our hands".