India lifting digital ban on Pakistani celebrities

India quietly lifted the digital ban on accounts of some Pakistani celebrities and entertainment platforms — which were blocked after the Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) that took at least 26 civilian lives, leading to full-fledged conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Some online users reported renewed access to previously blocked social media accounts including Instagram and YouTube channels.

The accounts accessible now included of popular Pakistani stars — including Yumna Zaidi, Dananeer Mobeen, Ahad Raza Mir, Azaan Sami Khan, Mawra Hocane, Ameer Gilani, and Danish Taimoor.

Indian X users highlighted this development, saying that YouTube accounts of three major Pakistani entertainment channels have also been restored.

However, some major celebrities’ accounts remained inaccessible, including those of Hania Aamir, Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan and Atif Aslam

There had not been any official statement from the government of India on the bans being lifted — or whether it is just a glitch in Instagram algorithms.

On this development, some fans in India were wondering why the government lifted the ban for some while still keeping it on other celebrities.

Other fans argued that the government has lifted the ban for just ‘B-list’ stars from Pakistan, so it does not matter.  

Celebrities in Pakistan condemned Indian attacks on six sites in Pakistan on May 7 — all targets hit were civilian, with most being mosques — with Indian munitions also causing damage to the surrounding residential structures.

The targeted sites included Kotli, Bahawalpur, Muridke, Bagh and Muzaffarabad.

Other celebrities — who condemned the attack — included actors Fahad Mustafa, Hina Altaf, Hina Khwaja Bayat, Minal Khan, and Ushna Shah among others.