In a surprising turn of events, the Indian government has reinstated digital restrictions on the social media accounts of several Pakistani celebrities, just a day after they were briefly accessible. The accounts, including those of Mawra Hocane, Ahad Raza Mir, and Saba Qamar, were once again inaccessible to Indian users by Thursday morning, with a message stating, “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”
Indian government sources confirmed that the brief reappearance of these accounts was a result of a “technical glitch” and assured that the issue had now been rectified. The glitch led to the temporary unblocking of several profiles on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and X, including popular Pakistani entertainment channels like HUM TV, ARY Digital, and Har Pal Geo. The glitch’s brief resolution sparked confusion and speculation among users, as it seemed like a quiet rollback of the months-long social media ban on Pakistani content in India.
The move follows months of digital restrictions imposed after the Pahalgam attack in May, which India blamed on Pakistan, although Pakistan has denied the allegations. The attack led to heightened tensions, including Indian airstrikes on Pakistani territory, and a subsequent wave of social media censorship targeting Pakistani celebrities and entertainment platforms.
The sudden and short-lived reappearance of these accounts has sparked renewed discussions on censorship and digital freedom. Critics of the government’s actions voiced concerns over the sudden reversal and questioned the transparency of the decision-making process.
