By The Sampadak Express
Instagram has restricted access to the accounts of several prominent Pakistani actors and content creators in India, citing legal compliance. Among those affected are celebrated stars like Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, Ali Zafar, Sanam Saeed, Bilal Abbas, Iqra Aziz, Imran Abbas, and Sajal Aly.
Users in India attempting to view these profiles are met with a message stating: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”
The action follows a surge in diplomatic and digital tensions between India and Pakistan after a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 people—25 of them tourists, including 24 Hindus.
The assault, carried out by heavily armed militants on the popular Baisaran grassland, has been described as the deadliest in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba’s proxy, The Resistance Front (TRF), claimed responsibility for the massacre. India has since traced the attackers’ digital trail, reportedly linking it back to Pakistani operatives.
In response, New Delhi has initiated a series of punitive steps, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the Attari-Wagah land crossing, and a downgrade in diplomatic ties with Islamabad.
The Instagram restrictions come shortly after the Indian government banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major news outlets such as Dawn News, ARY News, Samaa TV, and Geo News. Authorities cited the dissemination of provocative, misleading, and anti-India content—especially targeting the armed forces and security establishments—as grounds for the move.
These developments reflect escalating tensions between the two neighbors, with India taking an increasingly firm stance on cross-border terrorism and its digital propaganda extensions.
