In a swift development, the Instagram and Twitter accounts of several prominent Pakistani celebrities including Hania Aamir, Mahira Khan, Shahid Afridi, Mawra Hocane, and Fawad Khan were once again made inaccessible to Indian users on Thursday. This comes just a day after these accounts had briefly reappeared online, sparking speculation of a policy change.
The short window of access on Wednesday, July 2, had also included the Instagram accounts of Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor, alongside Pakistani YouTube channels such as Hum TV, ARY Digital, and Har Pal Geo. By Thursday morning, however, access was revoked once again.
When Indian users attempt to view these profiles, platforms now display the message:
“Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”
Government Cites Technical Glitch, No Official Statement Yet
According to government sources quoted by India Today, the temporary visibility of these blocked profiles was due to a technical glitch, not an official change in policy.
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“If you can see some accounts either on X, YouTube and Meta, they will be inaccessible in a few hours. Some technical glitch led to the unblocking. Rectified now,” a source explained.
Despite the sudden reappearance of banned accounts, no formal statement has been issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting regarding the glitch or the reimposed restrictions.
These bans were initially implemented in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, a military operation conducted by India targeting terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The move came amid rising tensions between the two nations, and after several Pakistani celebrities publicly criticised the operation.
The reappearance of the blocked accounts had led to widespread fan reaction and speculation online. However, with the restrictions now back in place, access to these social media pages remains denied within India.
