New Delhi: The digital doors slammed shut once more on several Pakistani actors and cricketers, as Indian authorities reimposed a sweeping ban barely hours after briefly restoring access to their social media accounts on Wednesday.

Instagram profiles of popular Pakistani actors, including Mawra Hocane, Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor, which had reappeared unexpectedly for Indian users, vanished again from Indian cyberspace. Meanwhile, the YouTube channels of cricketers Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar remained accessible at the time of publishing.

Other high-profile Pakistani celebrities like Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, and Hania Aamir continued to be digitally invisible in India, with the standard message displayed: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”

The whiplash in access comes against the backdrop of a controversial advisory issued by the Indian government on May 8, 2025, under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The advisory ordered OTT platforms, streaming services, and digital intermediaries to immediately discontinue all content originating from Pakistan, citing concerns over India’s sovereignty, integrity, and national security.

The trigger: a brutal terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, where 25 tourists were killed by The Resistance Front, a proxy of the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba terror outfit. In response, India downgraded diplomatic ties, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, and launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terror bases across the border.

As the digital blackout fluctuated, the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) issued a fiery appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, denouncing the brief restoration of Pakistani artists’ accounts as “an insult to the sacrifice of our martyred soldiers.” Calling Pakistan a “terrorist nation,” the association demanded:

  • A nationwide digital blackout of all Pakistani social media accounts and media channels.
  • A permanent ban on any future collaborations with Pakistani citizens in Indian media, OTT, or advertising.
  • A complete cultural severance as a mark of respect to India’s armed forces and martyrs.

Referring to past terror strikes including 26/11, Pulwama, and Uri, the AICWA accused Pakistani artists of showing “no remorse” and, in some cases, speaking against India.

For now, while popular Pakistani entertainment channels like Hum TV, ARY Digital, and Har Pal Geo remain viewable in India, the fate of individual celebrities’ digital presence hangs in the balance, overshadowed by diplomatic hostilities, national outrage, and raw wounds left by terror.