16 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 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.
Upon trying to access either of the 16 banned YouTube channels, a message shows: “This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order. For more details about government removal requests, please visit the Google Transparency Report (transparencyreport.google.com).”
