India blocks Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif's YouTube channel
02 May 2025

India has blocked the official YouTube channel of Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The action came after Sharif delivered a speech at Kakul Academy, where he warned India that Pakistan would respond with "full force" if its water supply was disrupted.

People trying to visit Sharif's channel are now met with a notice: "This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order."

Crackdown on Pakistani YouTube channels
Channel ban

Blocking Sharif's channel is part of the Indian government's wider crackdown on Pakistani YouTube channels in the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam, where 26 people were killed.

Earlier, 16 prominent channels including major news outlets like Dawn, Samaa TV, ARY News, Geo News and Bol News, were banned.

Collectively boasting over 63 million subscribers, they were accused of spreading provocative content and misinformation against India and its security forces.

Individual journalists and organizations also targeted
Journalist ban

The crackdown on Pakistani YouTube channels also covers individual accounts of journalists, including Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq. This action was taken on the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Additionally, India warned the BBC against "biased reporting" of the Pahalgam terror incident. The Indian government objected to the BBC calling terrorists "militants."

PM Modi condemns Pahalgam attack
Government response

PM Narendra Modi has condemned the Pahalgam attack, blaming terrorists and their backers for the violence.

These people "do not like the return of peace and prosperity" in Kashmir, he said.

Following the incident, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and also canceled visas for several Pakistani nationals.

Over 900 Pakistani nationals, including diplomats, have since departed India through the Attari-Wagah border.