In the wake of the Pahalgam attack, India has amplified its aggressive approach towards Pakistan with provocative remarks and increasingly aggressive actions. Besides suspending the Indus Waters Treaty and stopping bilateral trade, India has now mounted a crackdown on Pakistani culture, online presence, and economic ties — further tightening diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Part of this cultural boycott, numerous Pakistani entertainment and news YouTube channels have been suspended in India. Also, the social media accounts of some Pakistani stars are no longer accessible to Indian users. Noted Indian fashion designer Manish Malhotra also removed pictures of Pakistani actresses Mahira Khan and Hania Aamir from his official Instagram account, indicating a broader movement in Indian cultural circles to disassociate with Pakistani artists.

In earlier years, Mahira Khan and Hania Aamir had been seen dressed in Malhotra’s designer clothing, which was prominently displayed on his social media. But the recent deletion indicates an increased adherence to nationalism in India.

The online cleansing began with a suspension of 16 prominent Pakistani YouTube channels, many of which are mainstream media channels. This was followed by censoring entertainment material that had proven popular among Indians. Indian viewing of the Instagram accounts of prominent Pakistani actors — such as Hania Aamir, Ali Zafar, Mahira Khan, Arsalan Naseer, Ushna Shah, Hina Altaf, Bilal Abbas, Momina Mustehsan, Sanam Saeed, and Sajal Aly — was also suspended.

The list of restricted accounts expanded further to include A-list stars such as Atif Aslam, Fawad Khan, Yumna Zaidi, Asim Azhar, Aima Baig, and cricketers Shahid Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan. Even the X (formerly Twitter) accounts of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan and former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have been blocked in India.

This concerted digital censorship seems to be India’s move to systematically erase Pakistani cultural content from public visibility. But there are some Indian fans who are reportedly using VPNs to still follow Pakistani stars, especially Hania Aamir.

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