Instagram accounts of Pakistani cricketers Shahid Afridi, Babar Azam and others blocked in India

The government on Friday banned the Instagram accounts of star Pakistani cricketers Shahid Afridi, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf. The move comes amid the ongoing tension between the two countries following the deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

Last Sunday, Shahid Afridi had shared a post on social media, in which he criticised the Indian Army and claimed Pakistan's innocence in wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Earlier on Thursday, the Instagram account of Paris Olympics gold medallist Arshad Nadeem was also blocked in India.

The government also blocked the YouTube channel of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

It had earlier this week blocked 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly disseminating "false, provocative and communally sensitive content" about India and has also strongly objected to the BBC's reportage on the Pahalgam attack.

The government's move follows recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in the upper reaches of the Kashmir resort town in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.

The YouTube channels blocked are 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.