New Delhi– Instagram accounts belonging to top Pakistani cricketers Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been blocked in India following the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which left 26 people dead.
The social media profiles of the three cricketers, who currently represent Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Sultans, and Lahore Qalandars in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL), are no longer accessible to users in India. Visitors attempting to view their accounts are met with a notice citing “compliance with a legal request.”
The move comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after the attack, which killed 25 Indian tourists and one Kashmiri local. As part of its response, the Indian government has begun restricting access to Pakistani social media accounts with significant Indian audiences.
On Thursday, Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem’s Instagram account was also blocked in India. Nadeem, who famously bested India’s Neeraj Chopra at the Paris Olympics, had recently declined an invitation to attend Chopra’s NC Classic javelin event scheduled for May 24 in Bengaluru.
The crackdown extends beyond Instagram. Earlier this week, India restricted several Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading “provocative, communally sensitive content” and for disseminating misinformation targeting India, its armed forces, and national security agencies.
Former cricketers Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, and Basit Ali were among those affected, with their YouTube content being restricted. However, their Instagram profiles remain visible in India — at least for now.
Notably, other prominent Pakistani celebrities, including actors Mahira Khan and Ali Zafar, have also had their Instagram accounts restricted in India, signaling a broader digital blockade amid escalating diplomatic strain.
In total, more than a dozen Pakistani YouTube channels have been banned, including those belonging to major media outlets like Dawn News, SAMAA TV, ARY News, Geo News, and BOL News. Individual content creators and political commentators such as Irshad Bhatti, Umar Cheema, Asma Shirazi, and Muneeb Farooq were also impacted.
The digital clampdown highlights India’s effort to curb narratives perceived as hostile or inflammatory during a period of heightened national security concerns. (Source: IANS)
