India bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels

Tensions have been rising against India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack

In the aftermath of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, India has taken another step to retaliate against it. India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, government sources have said.

"On the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of India has banned the 16 Pakistani YouTube channels including Dawn News, Samaa TV, Ary News, Geo News 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 Jammu and Kashmir," ANI quoted the government sources as saying.

On the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of India has banned the 16 Pakistani YouTube channels including Dawn News, Samaa TV, Ary News, Geo News for disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives and pic.twitter.com/AusR1fCkvN
ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2025

The channels have a total of 63 million subscribers, according to a list shared by the government.

The government has made it clear that the channels that have been banned have been sharing sensitive and provocative content. They have also been spreading misinformation against India.

The ban on the Pakistani YouTube channels comes days after a deadly terrorist attack in Baisaran in Kashmir's Pahalgam killed 26 people, including mostly tourists, locals and foreign nationals.

The ban on the YouTube channels is part of India's strategy to retaliate against the attack and stand up against the propagation of terrorism. The other steps that India has taken includes suspending the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan and cancelling visas of Pakistani nationals, ordering them to return to Pakistan within a specified deadline.