Former Pakistan cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Basit Ali’s YouTube channels were on Monday blocked in India following “an order from the government related to national security or public order” in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attacks.
The central government officially blocked 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly disseminating “provocative and communally sensitive content”. While Akhtar and Ali’s channels were not part of the government-issued list, they were also seemingly affected by the order.
Dawn News, Irshad Bhatti, SAMAA TV, ARY NEWS, BOL NEWS, Raftar, The Pakistan Reference, Geo News, Samaa Sports, GNN, Uzair Cricket, Umar Cheema Exclusive, Asma Shirazi, Muneeb Farooq, SUNO News and Razi Naama are the other Pakistani channels banned in India.
“This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order,” stated a YouTube message on logging into the channels.
“On the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of India has banned Pakistani YouTube channels for disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies in the backdrop of the tragic Pahalgam terror incident in and Kashmir,” PTI quoted officials as saying.
Akhtar, a former pacer of repute, is a popular figure among Indian fans for his in-depth and often humorous analysis of international cricket issues. Basit, a former Pakistan coach, runs similar content on his channel.
Last Tuesday, a terrorist attack in a meadow near Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, tragically killed 26 people, including 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen.
In response to this attack, the Indian government has taken several actions, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and cancelling visas for Pakistani citizens.
– With PTI inputs
