After social media crackdown, India also bans Pakistani web series, movies, and songs on OTT; everything to know
Following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that left several Indian civilians and a Nepali national dead, the Indian government has ramped up its digital crackdown on Pakistani figures and content. As part of the response, Instagram accounts of several prominent Pakistani celebrities — including actors Hania Amir, Ali Zafar, and Mahira Khan — have been blocked from public access within India.
Further escalating the pressure, the government on May 8 issued a formal advisory to all OTT platforms and digital streaming services, instructing them to immediately remove any web series, films, music, podcasts, or other content that originates from Pakistan. The advisory, framed under the IT Rules, 2021, cites national security concerns and aims to prevent the dissemination of content deemed harmful to India's sovereignty or public order.
The advisory, issued under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, cites national security concerns as the primary reason for the ban. It applies to all forms of digital content — films, series, music, podcasts, and more — whether available freely or through paid subscriptions.
'In the interest of national security, all OTT platforms, media streaming platforms and intermediaries operating in India are advised to discontinue the web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming media content, whether made available on a subscription based model or otherwise, having its origins in Pakistan with immediate effect,' read the advisory dated 8 May.
While the directive is advisory in nature and not legally binding, it reinforces the government's expectation that platforms comply with Rule 3(1)(b) of the IT Rules, which mandates efforts to prevent content that could threaten India's sovereignty or international relations. Major platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, YouTube, and Spotify are now expected to review and potentially remove Pakistani-origin content in accordance with the advisory.
Previously, the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) had sharply criticised Pakistani actors such as Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan for what it described as 'anti-India' remarks following Operation Sindoor, claiming the actors publicly denounced India's military response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which killed several civilians. 'These statements are not only offensive to our country, but they also belittle the sacrifices made by innocent civilians and our armed forces. AICWA maintains a complete and unwavering ban on all Pakistani artists, producers, and financial collaborators within the Indian entertainment industry. Indian professionals will not engage with Pakistani talent or share any public or global platform with them,' the statement said.
The move aligns with broader digital restrictions that followed the Pahalgam attack. Authorities had earlier blocked access to 16 Pakistan-linked YouTube channels, including those of news outlets and journalists. Platforms also removed the YouTube channels of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and sports figures like Shaheen Afridi and Shoaib Malik from Indian viewership.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
12 minutes ago
- Time of India
Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea over deportation drive in Assam, asks petitioner to approach High Court
The Supreme Court on Monday refused to entertain a plea which alleged that the Assam government has reportedly launched a "sweeping" drive to detain and deport persons suspected to be foreigners without nationality verification or exhaustion of legal remedies. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Satish Chandra Sharma told the petitioner to approach the Gauhati High Court in the matter. "Why are you not going to the Gauhati High Court?" the bench asked senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, who appeared for petitioner All BTC Minority Students Union. Hegde said the plea was based on an order passed by the apex court earlier. "Please go to the Gauhati High Court," the bench observed. Live Events Hegde said the petitioner would withdraw the plea to take appropriate recourse before the high court. The bench allowed him to withdraw the plea. The plea, filed through advocate Adeel Ahmed, referred to a February 4 order of the top court which, while dealing with a separate petition, had directed Assam to initiate the process of deportation of 63 declared foreign nationals, whose nationality was known, within two weeks. "Pursuant to the said order (of February 4)... the state of Assam has reportedly launched a sweeping and indiscriminate drive to detain and deport individuals suspected to be foreigners, even in the absence of foreigners tribunal declarations, nationality verification, or exhaustion of legal remedies," the plea claimed. It referred to news reports, including one about a retired school teacher who was allegedly " pushed back " into Bangladesh . "These instances reflect a growing pattern of deportations conducted by the Assam Police and administrative machinery through informal 'push back' mechanisms, without any judicial oversight or adherence to the safeguards envisaged by the Constitution of India or this court," it claimed. "The 'push back' policy, as implemented, violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution by deporting individuals without due process, thereby denying them the opportunity to contest their deportation and infringing upon their right to life and personal liberty," the plea claimed. It alleged that the indiscriminate application of deportation directives, coupled with absence of proper identification, verification and notice mechanisms, has resulted in a situation where Indian citizens were being wrongfully incarcerated and threatened with removal to foreign territories without lawful basis. The plea sought a direction that no person shall be deported pursuant to the February 4 order without a prior reasoned declaration by the foreigners tribunal, without adequate opportunity of appeal or review and verification of nationality by the Ministry of External Affairs. It also sought a declaration that the "push back" policy adopted by Assam was violative of Articles 14 ( equality before law ) and 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution and contrary to binding judicial precedents.
Indian Express
16 minutes ago
- Indian Express
IndiGo CEO defends India's stand on bilateral air traffic rights; says just because some countries are making noise doesn't mean they are right
IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on Monday defended India's apparent policy of not expanding bilateral air services agreements with countries that house global hub airports and account for a significant chunk of international medium- and long-haul passenger traffic to and from India. He also said that just because some countries are making noise about their grouse with India's stand doesn't meant that they are right. Elebers comments come a day after Dubai-based airline Emirates's President Tim Clarke again pitched for open access to the Indian market, reportedly saying that restrictive bilateral flying rights did not make sense for India if it has aspirations to become a global aviation player. The India-Dubai bilateral air services agreement has not been revised in over a decade. 'It's called the bilateral agreement, right? That means two sides have to agree on something, and if one side makes more and more noise, it doesn't mean that you're more and more right. It's a bilateral agreement, and that means that the two sides have to agree on what's the benefit for both sides,' Elbers said in response to a question. According to Elbers, viewing India's approach as protectionist would not be correct as historically, foreign carriers were utilising their flying rights to India while Indian airlines were not able to do so at the same level, which in effect led to imbalances. He also noted that India has over the recent years expanded air services agreements with some countries, which reflects that the country is open to revising pacts in cases where both sides have something to gain. 'Historically, a lot of countries had flying rights to India, and were using these while Indian operators were not using these flying rights. I think that should be taken into consideration as well…there were massive number of flights into India and no operations by Indian operators. So, for a government to look at that and to say, first, let's use the existing pool of traffic rights, and when the existing pool is exhausted, go to new traffic rights, I think it's a completely fair and balanced approach,' Elbers said at a briefing during the ongoing annual general meeting of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Delhi. The Indian government and major Indian carriers like Air India and IndiGo have ambitions to have more direct international connectivity from India and to turn the country into an international aviation hub. Long-haul travel on board Indian carriers, however, continues to remain a challenge as a significant number of passengers flying to far off destinations from India take connecting flights through major global hubs outside the country, Dubai and Doha for instance. This is part of the reason why New Delhi has been playing hardball with the Gulf countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates, on the issue of bilateral air traffic rights and has not been heeding their calls for expansion of traffic rights. The UAE and Dubai-based carrier Emirates have been urging India to increase seats under the India-Dubai bilateral air services agreement beyond the limit of around 66,000 seats per week per direction, the Indian government appears to be unwilling to lend an ear. The reason is clear. India wants its carriers to ramp up wide-body operations, instead of facilitating foreign airlines, particularly Gulf-based carriers with deep pockets, in ferrying passengers to Europe and beyond via their large hubs. Put simply, increasing seats under bilateral pacts does not sit well with India's grand aviation ambitions. Weighing in on the issue, IATA Director General Willie Walsh said that as they grow, Indian airlines deserve to get access to markets globally, and the current issues related to flying rights are 'just an issue of timing'. 'Flying rights are an issue right across the world. It's not unique to India…When we look at two, maybe three years ago, there were less than 50 wide-body aircraft based in India…That's now being corrected with the addition of new wide body aircraft to both the IndiGo fleet and the Air India fleet. And as we see the expansion of the carriers in India accessing new markets, you will have to see a corresponding change to the approach for access, because Indian carriers will want access to markets right across the world, and deserve to get access to markets right across the world. So, I think this is just an issue of timing,' Walsh said. Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
Elden Ring Nightreign Executor guide- How to play, tips, tricks, and more
(Image via YouTube/Bandai Namco Entertainment) Elden Ring Nightreign's Executor is a high-reward and high-skill class that's built for players who love aggression and precision. The class specializes in Arcane and Dexterity. As a masked warrior, Executor thrives on one-on-one duels with bleed effects and devastating Katana strikes. Mastering the Cursed Sword stance Executor, as it's the key to lead a better game. But the Executor's playstyle demands more. To have mastery over stance management and parrying will be a great move. The guide here covers how to dominate using the Executor class. Make sure to follow it and prepare for the dance of steel. How to play Executor class Elden Ring Nightreign? ELDEN RING NIGHTREIGN | Executor Character Trailer An executor is the hybrid duelist and the status-inflicter. The class relies on well-time parries and quick slashes. The Cursed Sword skill (sacrifices the mobility for the powerful defensive options) is central to the Executor's playstyle—entering the slow yet powerful stance, which allows deflections. Successfully parrying can charge the blade and unlock the high-damage lunge attack. But to stand in the stance for too long will leave the Executor vulnerable. Note: To land deflections is quite critical. A Cursed Sword that's fully charged unleashes the devastating golden wave attack. The Ultimate Art, Aspects of the Crucible: Beast of Executor transforms him into a monstrous form. It is ideal to have crowd control or in cases of emergency healing. As the Executor struggles against the groups, making smart use of this particular ability is important. Ensure that the focus is on exploiting bleed buildup, isolating the enemies, and, of course, switching between defensive parrying and aggressive slashing. Elden Ring tips for Executor playstyle Master Cursed Sword stance. Do not stay in the same space, indefinitely. Make its reactive use for parrying heavy attacks and then switch back to normal mode for your mobility (success is hinged on knowing the right time for switching modes). Charge lunge will deal massive damage—ensure that it is timed against the bosses for maximum effect. Ensure to practice your timing and remember Aspects of the Crucible: Best is a powerful emergency heal. End transformation early for conserving gauge. Use ultimate as the survival tool. The beast transformation will fully heal the Executor. Use it to escape death or clear mobs. But cancel early on if the fight starts to shift to the conserve gauge. Play well to the Executor's strength who shines in 1v1s. In the co-ops, allow the teammates to handle adds while you continue to lock down the main threat with the stance breaks and parries. Use the S-tier Arcane scaling weapons like the claws and Katanas that excel. Stack poison or bleed for melting the enemy health bars. Serpent Bow is also the sneaky pick for the ranged status application. Always keep the guard up in stance. Block drains the stamina, but it is safer than mistiming the deflection. Nightreign Executor best relics, weapons, and talismans Elden Ring Nightreign Executor Guide - How to play Executor in Nightreign Executor thrives on Arcane and Dexterity S-tier scaling. Give priority to daggers, katanas, twinblades, claws (especially ones inflecting the Bleed or the other statuses), curved swords, scythes, and whips. The weapons with affixes like X while walking will synergize right with the slow Curved Sword movement. Be sure to seek passives to boost successive attacks like FP Restore, HP restore, and damage. Also, seek stance-breaking or guarding ability. Do not at all overlook the ranged options, including Serpent Bow, to apply the statuses in a safer way. Relics define the Executor's adaptability. Target the general power boosts at first—Endurance/Dexterity/Arcane/Vigor increases. Some Executor-specific relics like [Executor] Roaring (sustain in the beast form) help to restore the HP while the art is active, or the [Executor] while the character skill is active, to unlock the Cursed Sword will store HP, are the top-tier. Even stamina recovery on the hit raids the stance pressure. You can choose poison buffs or Bleed to amplify the primary damage source. Talismans bolster offense and survival: Millicent's Prosthesis for Dexterity or successive attack boost, Lord of Blood's Exultation with the Bleed weapons for more Bleed, Green Turtle for stamina recovery to make relentless attacks, Godskin Swaddling Cloth to earn HP on hits, and Greatshield Talisman (guarding) are some of the excellent choices for Executor. Remember, the Executor is the glass cannon with the right setup. Give priority to Arcane or Dexterity to exploit the status effects and for controlling fights with the well-timed parries. Also, do not forget to practice while you are carving through the foes like the true master of the cursed blade.
