Following the horrific Pahalgam attack, the Instagram handles of several Pakistani celebrities were banned in India earlier this week. However, the accounts of stars like Fawad Khan and singer Atif Aslam were still accessible.
On Friday, however, Instagram users were no longer able to access the accounts of Atif Aslam and Fawad Khan, indicating that their profiles have now come under the government's radar and have subsequently been banned in the country.
When users tried to access their Instagram accounts, they got the message, reading, "Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content."
The ban came a day after several netizens pointed out that the accounts of Pakistani stars such as Atif Aslam, Fawad Khan, and Mawra Hocane were still accessible.
Fawad and Atif are among the Pakistani artists who enjoy a huge fan base in India. While Fawad made his Bollywood debut with the 2014 romcom Khoobsurat, Atif has been active in the Indian film industry for over two decades. He has collaborated with several Indian artists and delivered numerous superhit songs such as ''Woh Lamhe Woh Baatein'' (Zeher), ''Dil Diyan Gallan'' (Tiger Zinda Hai), ''Pehli Nazar Mein'' (Race), ''Be Intehaan'' (Race 2), ''Jeena Jeena'' (Badlapur), and many more.
Meanwhile, Khan has starred in Indian movies such as Kapoor & Sons and Ae Dil Hain Mushkil. He was set to make his Bollywood comeback with the movie Abir Gulaal, slated for release on May 9, 2025.
However, following the Pahalgam terror attack, the movie will not be released in India.
Pakistani celebrities banned in India
On April 30, the Instagram handles of several famous Pakistani celebrities such as Hania Aamir, Mahira Khan, Sajal Aly and Ali Zafar have been blocked in India. The action was taken days after the shocking Pahalgam terror attack.