India-Pakistan Relations / India showed leniency, removed the ban on Pakistani social media accounts and websites

India-Pakistan Relations: After the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, the Indian government took strict action and banned the social media accounts of many Pakistani artists in India. Under this ban, the access of these artists on Instagram, YouTube and other platforms was limited. Recently, this ban has been lifted on the social media accounts of some artists, although no official announcement has been made by the government in this regard. Nevertheless, the accounts of many prominent artists like Hania Aamir and Mahira Khan are still restricted in India.

Which artists' accounts became active?

The Instagram account of Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane, who has appeared in the Bollywood film Sanam Teri Kasam, has now become active again in India. Apart from her, the accounts of artists like Saba Qamar, Yumna Zaidi, Danish Taimur and Ahad Raza Mir are also now available in India. This is a relief news for the fans of these artists, as their social media handles can now be viewed without any interruption.

These accounts are still restricted

Although the ban on some accounts has been lifted, the social media handles of many big names are still banned in India. These include artists like Hania Aamir, who worked with Diljit Dosanjh in the film Sardar Ji 3, Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Ali Zafar and Atif Aslam. On opening their Instagram accounts, users get the message that "This account is not available in India."

YouTube channels were also banned

After the Pahalgam terror attack, the social media accounts of many Pakistani artists were restricted on the basis of the legal request of the Government of India. Along with this, 16 Pakistani YouTube channels were also banned on the recommendation of the Home Ministry. These channels were accused of spreading inflammatory, communal and misleading content against India, the Indian Army and security agencies. This step was taken keeping in mind national security.

Ban has been imposed after the Uri attack too

This is not the first time that Pakistani artists have been banned in India. After the Uri terrorist attack in 2016, all Pakistani artists were banned from working in India. Due to this ban, many artists had to leave Bollywood projects. However, in 2023, the Bombay High Court supported the lifting of this ban, saying that artists cannot be made victims of political tension. After this, Pakistani artists got a chance to work in Hindi cinema again.

For example, Hania Aamir was cast in Sardar Ji 3 opposite Diljit Dosanjh, while Fawad Khan was going to make a comeback in Bollywood with the film Abir Gulaal. But after the Pahalgam attack, the release of Abir Gulaal, which was scheduled for May 9, 2025, was stopped. On the other hand, Sardar Ji 3 was not released in India but in the overseas market.