India has blocked the social media handles of Pakistan's state-backed "Asia One" news outlet, which has been spreading anti-India propaganda. Asia One, launched after the India-Pakistan conflict of May 2025, after the Pahalgam terror attack by Pakistan-trained terrorists, was seen as part of Pakistan's information warfare and was used to spread misinformation. Many of its correspondents have been regularly churning out anti-India misinformation. A recent report by the channel was fact-checked by India's Foreign Ministry.
The channel positions itself as Pakistan's first satellite-based "global" English news network, employing foreign anchors and adopting a polished production style reminiscent of Qatar's Al Jazeera and Turkey's TRT World. Indian security experts and media reports have described the channel as a sophisticated propaganda attempt aligned with Pakistan's military establishment, including the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and its media wing, the ISPR.
Since its launch, Asia One has faced accusations in India of distorting coverage of Operation Sindoor, Jammu and Kashmir, cross-border terrorism, and bilateral relations, often amplifying perspectives of the Pakistani military. The Indian block follows earlier measures: in the immediate aftermath of the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, India banned over a dozen major Pakistani YouTube channels and many Pakistani reporters for spreading misinformation. They remained blocked.
Asia One channel rarely covered anti-military news, including attacks on minorities in the country, human rights violations in Balochistan, KPK.
Shrinking space for media in Pakistan
Earlier this month, a Pakistani anti-terrorism court in Islamabad sentenced seven individuals, including several well-known journalists and commentators, to double life imprisonment in absentia. The convictions relate to charges of "digital terrorism", inciting violence, and waging war against the state, linked to online activity around the May 2023 riots following the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Those sentenced include journalists Sabir Shakir, Shaheen Sehbai, Moeed Pirzada, and Wajahat Saeed Khan, along with YouTuber Adil Raja, commentator Haider Raza Mehdi, and retired army officer Akbar Hussain, all believed to be living abroad. The accused were also fined and face additional prison terms if fines remain unpaid.
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Rights groups have criticised the ruling as a serious blow to press freedom, amid ongoing concerns over the use of anti-terror laws against dissent in Pakistan.
