The Indian government has blocked the Instagram accounts of several high-profile Pakistani political leaders, celebrities, and sportspersons following the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. The action, taken under orders from the Centre, is part of a broader crackdown on Pakistani digital presence in India.
Among those whose accounts have been banned in India are Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader Maryam Nawaz, and Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Instagram accounts of several prominent Pakistani cricketers have also been blocked in India. These include captain Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, and Imam-ul-Haq. The ban was implemented on Meta platforms at the direction of the Indian government.
This comes a day after popular Pakistani actors such as Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, and Ali Zafar also found their Instagram accounts inaccessible in India on Wednesday evening.
The move follows the recent attack in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, where terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists, killing 26 people and injuring several others, including a national from Nepal. Survivors recounted that the attackers separated the men, questioned some about their religion, and then shot them at close range.
