The Indian government has blocked access to the official YouTube channel of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for users in India, invoking concerns over national security and public order.

The move is part of a wider crackdown on Pakistani digital content following the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that left 26 civilians dead, most of them tourists.

Users trying to access Sharif’s YouTube profile are now met with a standard message: “This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order.”

This is the most high-profile block since similar action was taken against the YouTube channels of Pakistani finance minister Khawaja Asif and the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan Army.

The ministry of information and broadcasting has invoked emergency provisions under the Information Technology Act to direct major social media platforms to geo-restrict several Pakistani accounts that were allegedly involved in spreading anti-India narratives and misinformation.

Officials say the restrictions are part of a “coordinated counter-disinformation effort” in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.

A notable segment of the crackdown has been directed at high-profile Pakistani cricketers whose social media accounts enjoy massive Indian viewership.

The Instagram handles of current and former players including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf have been blocked for Indian users.

Attempts to access these profiles in India now return a message stating, “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”

The YouTube channels of Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, and Basit Ali have also been geo-restricted, making their content inaccessible to Indian audiences.

The action, officials say, is based on concerns that these public figures were either directly sharing or amplifying content that could be used to spread anti-India sentiment, particularly in the wake of the Kashmir attack.

Former players including Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Afridi (on Instagram) continue to have visible accounts, although sources indicated more profiles are under review.

Earlier, the YouTube channels of Shoaib Akhtar, Syed Muzammil Shah, and Arzoo Kazmi. Channels such as DuniyaMeryAagy, Ghulam Nabi Madni, HAQEEQAT TV and HAQEEQAT TV 2.0 were blocked for Indian users.

Olympic javelin silver medallist Arshad Nadeem's Instagram account has also been blocked in India.

The tenth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), currently underway, is not being broadcast or streamed in India. Broadcasters Sony Sports Network and FanCode suspended telecast of the tournament following the Pahalgam terror strike.

The restrictions go beyond politics and sport. On April 30, the Instagram profiles of leading Pakistani actresses Mahira Khan and Hania Aamir were blocked for Indian users. Other celebrities including Ali Zafar and Fawad Khan have also faced similar action in recent days.

Officials in the ministry said that the government would continue to monitor and act against digital assets that pose a threat to India’s sovereignty, particularly in the context of terrorism, defence and foreign affairs.

Several Pakistani YouTube channels and Instagram pages are reportedly under fresh review for potential action.

India has previously banned more than 200 Chinese apps, including TikTok and PUBG, under similar national security provisions after the Galwan clash.