Shoaib Akhtar’s YouTube channel is also banned in India!

New Delhi: Former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar’s YouTube channel has been banned in India in the wake of the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. His channel was among several Pakistani-based YouTube platforms that were blocked following a directive from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs.

The banned channel, titled @ShoaibAkhtar100mph, was removed as part of a broader crackdown targeting platforms allegedly disseminating provocative, communal, misleading, and anti-India content in the aftermath of the Pahalgam incident.

The ban also extends to several prominent Pakistani channels, including Dawn, Samaa TV, and GeoTV. A few sports-related YouTube channels were reportedly included in the block list as well.

According to official sources, the action was taken based on concerns that these platforms were spreading inflammatory and false narratives against India, its armed forces, and security agencies, particularly after the April 22nd terror attack.

A notice displayed when attempting to access the banned channels in India states that the content is currently unavailable “due to a government order relating to national security or public order.” Viewers are redirected to the Google Transparency Report for more information (transparencyreport.google.com).

The Pahalgam Attack

The attack occurred around 2:30 PM on 22 April in the Baisaran Valley of Pahalgam. It claimed the lives of 26 people, including 25 tourists and one local Kashmiri resident. According to reports, four terrorists split into two groups to carry out the coordinated assault.

The Indian government has since ramped up both security measures and efforts to curb the spread of inflammatory digital content linked to such incidents, reinforcing the importance of digital accountability in matters of national security.