In a strong response to the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives, the Indian government has reportedly restricted access to several Pakistani celebrity Instagram accounts, triggering widespread reactions across social media platforms.
Among those affected are popular Pakistani actors Hania Aamir, Mahira Khan, Sajal Aly, Bilal Abbas Khan, and Iqra Aziz, whose Instagram profiles are no longer visible to Indian users. When accessed, their accounts show a message that reads: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”
This digital blackout follows heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which targeted Indian and foreign tourists. The incident has prompted a series of retaliatory moves by India, including stricter surveillance of cross-border digital content.
While several high-profile accounts were restricted, some Pakistani celebrities, including Fawad Khan, Atif Aslam, Mawra Hocane, Farhan Saeed, and Fahad Mustafa remained unaffected at the time of publishing.
In addition to individual social media restrictions, the Indian government has also banned YouTube channels of several Pakistani production houses, effectively suspending access to many Pakistani dramas that were widely viewed in India.
Following the attack, prominent Indian film industry figures like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Alia Bhatt publicly condemned the violence and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.
In a bizarre and viral turn of events, a group of Indian youth allegedly sent bottles of water to actress Hania Aamir as a satirical reference to the Indus Water Treaty, which India announced it was suspending in the wake of the attack. A video of the parcel, labeled for Hania, circulated widely online, though many netizens claimed it was created for humorous effect.
The situation continues to evolve as both diplomatic and cultural ties between the two nations face renewed strain. The Indian government has yet to issue an official statement on the Instagram restrictions, but legal compliance notices point to a deliberate and targeted crackdown on digital influence from across the border.
