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Pak social media handles unblocked in India months after Pahalgam attack

Several Pakistani YouTube channels and Instagram accounts of Pakistani actors and celebrities have now started to reappear in India, nearly a month after blocking them for spreading misinformation and criticising India's Operation Sindoor. The channels that were blocked included major news channels like Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, Suno News, and The Pakistan Experience. Apart from these, the Centre also blocked several independent YouTube channels, including Wasay Habib, Arzoo Kazmi, Syed Muzammil Shah, cricketer Shoaib Akhtar, and journalists such as Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq. Instagram accounts of Hania Aamir, Mawrah Hocane, Fawad Khan, Ali Zafar, and others were also blocked for Indian users. The decision to block YouTube channels came after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists. The Instagram accounts of Mawrah Hocane, Abida Parveen, Yumna Zaidi, Ahad Raza Mir, and Danish Taimoor can now be viewed by Indian users. However, accounts of some actors such as Hania Aamir, Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, and Ali Zafar remain inaccessible. While there has been no official word from the government so far, speculations over the ban being lifted are now being raised. Some of the YouTube channels that are now once again available in India include those of Shoaib Akhtar, Arzoo Kazmi, and Asma Shirazi. However, Wasay Habib's channel is among those that are still blocked in India. Pahalgam attack and its aftermath After the Pahalgam terror attack, diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan were downgraded, with visas granted to Pakistani nationals under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) being revoked, thereby asking Pakistani nationals to leave India. A series of punitive measures were announced from both sides, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the 1972 Simla Agreement, and the closure of the Kartarpur Corridor. Following these measures, the Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and targeted terror launch pads at nine locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours escalated and what followed was four days of cross-border drone and missile strikes, until an understanding was reached on May 10 to stop all firing and military actions.