India on Monday banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels with a combined 63 million subscribers for “spreading provocative content” and “misinformation against India”, the action coming on the heels of a range of punitive measures, including suspension of the Indus Water Treaty, against islamabad following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.
The YouTube channels banned on the recommendations of the ministry of home affairs include Dawn News, Samaa TV, Ary News, Raftaar, The Pakistan reference,Geo News and many others.
The government has accused them of disseminating communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives and misinformation against India, the Indian Army and security agencies.
The first in the list is the YouTube page of Dawn,is a Pakistani English-language newspaper that was launched in British India by Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1941. It is the largest English newspaper in Pakistan and widely considered the country's newspaper of record.
Due to the ban, Indian users can no longer access several Pakistani YouTube channels, such as those run by Arzoo Kazmi, Shoaib Akhtar and Syed Muzammil Shah.
When attempting to view these channels, Indian viewers are met with a message from YouTube that reads: "This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order. For more details about government removal requests, please visit the Google Transparency Report."
The Telegraph Online
The Centre has also reportedly written to the BBC, expressing strong objections to a headline that read, "Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack on tourists."
The phrasing, criticised by many on social media for implying that Indian forces were responsible for the attack, sparked backlash
According to reports, the external publicity department of the ministry of external affairs conveyed the country's strong sentiments to Jackie Martin, the BBC’s India chief, and raised concerns over the outlet referring to terrorists as "militants" in its coverage.
A formal letter has reportedly been sent and the government is expected to closely monitor the BBC’s future reporting on the issue.