India banned 16 Pak YouTube Channels, Warns BBC too

Sixteen Pakistani YouTube channels with a total of 63 million subscribers have been banned in India for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, according to government sources. The YouTube channels have been banned on the Union Home Ministry's recommendations. The government has also warned the BBC over it’s objectionable headline.

The banned platforms include YouTube channels of news outlets Dawn, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, and Suno News. YouTube channels of journalists Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq have also been banned. Other handles that have been banned include The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket and Razi Naama.

According to sources in the government, these YouTube channels have been disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies amid strained ties between the neighbours in the wake of the Pahalgam tragedy, in which 25 tourists and a Kashmiri were shot dead by terrorists in cold blood.

The government has warned the BBC over a headline that read, "Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack on tourists". Several social media users pointed out that the headline reads as if "India killed the tourists". The External Publicity Department of the Ministry of External Affairs has said the country's "strong sentiments" have been conveyed to Jackie Martin, India Head for BBC, regarding their reporting on the terror attack, sources have said. A formal letter on BBC referring to terrorists as militants has also been sent. The government, the sources said, will monitor BBC's reporting.

India has cracked down hard against Pakistan, suspected of having played a key role in the Pahalgam terror attack. New Delhi has suspended the Indus Water Treaty and visa services for Pakistani nationals. Islamabad has responded that it has the right to suspend all bilateral pacts with India, including the Simla Agreement.