16 Pakistani YouTube channels banned, BBC warned

The Centre has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for disseminating “provocative and communally sensitive content and misinformation against India”, even as it warned BBC about its coverage of the Pahalgam terror attack.

In a letter to BBC India Chief Jackie Martin, the government raised objections for terming terrorists as militants and warned that strict action will be taken if they continue biased reporting.

The channels, banned on the recommendations of the Union Home Ministry, include YouTube channels of news outlets Dawn, Samaa TV, ARY News, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News and Suno News. According to government sources, these YouTube channels have been disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies in the wake of Pahalgam attack, in which 25 tourists and a Kashmiri were shot dead by terrorists.

Together, the 16 YouTube channels that have been banned have 63 million subscribers. The YouTube channels of journalists Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema and Muneeb Farooq are also among those banned. Other channels that have been banned include The Pakistan Reference, Samaa Sports, Uzair Cricket and Razi Naama.

Any attempt to access these channels shows the message “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 (transparencyreport.google.com).”

Soon after the Pahalgam massacre of April 22, India had suspended the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan and cancelled visas of Pakistani nationals, ordering them to return to Pakistan within 72 hours.

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