Accounts Restored, Then Blocked Again: What’s Behind India’s Move Against Pakistani Stars?

Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts belonging to leading Pakistani celebrities — including Hania Aamir, Shahid Afridi, and Mahira Khan — were once again blocked for users in India on Thursday, barely a day after they had unexpectedly become accessible.

The accounts of other stars like Mawra Hocane, Fawad Khan, Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor were also viewable for a short time on Wednesday, alongside several major Pakistani YouTube channels.

However, by Thursday morning, access had been restricted again. Users attempting to visit these profiles on Instagram were met with a message stating: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”

According to India Today, Indian government sources explained the brief reappearance as a “technical glitch.” Officials said the unblocking had been an error and promised the accounts would be inaccessible once the issue was resolved.

The original restrictions were introduced following a broader digital crackdown by India in response to the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, located in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which left 26 people dead. New Delhi has blamed Islamabad for supporting the perpetrators, a charge Pakistan has firmly denied.

Tensions escalated further when Pakistani celebrities publicly condemned Indian airstrikes carried out on May 7. Those strikes targeted six civilian areas and mosques across Kotli, Bahawalpur, Muridke, Bagh, and Muzaffarabad.

Among those who voiced strong criticism of the attacks were Fahad Mustafa, Hina Altaf, Hina Khwaja Bayat, Minal Khan, and Ushna Shah, who particularly highlighted the civilian toll and the targeting of religious sites.

The Indian government has yet to issue an official statement explaining the repeated bans, though the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has previously used geoblocking tools to limit Pakistani content.

The sudden restoration — followed by an equally swift re-blocking — has reignited debate about India’s approach to digital censorship, especially when it comes to artists and entertainers. Meanwhile, fans on both sides of the border have expressed frustration at how cultural and entertainment content continues to be politicised in an already tense regional climate.