Pakistani celebrities' social media accounts banned again after #BanPakContent trends: Here's why they were accessible

As social media handles of several Pakistani celebrities became accessible in India on Wednesday (July 3), a massive backlash followed demanding a ban on Pakistani content. #BanPakContent started trending on X with netizens asking the Indian government as to why the ban was removed. However, amid the backlast, several media reports citing sources said that the ban is in place again and was removed due to a 'technical glitch'.

The channels were banned after Pahalgam terror attack in India's Jammu and Kashmir in April. In response to the terror attack by a Pakistan-based terror group, India launched Operation Sindoor targeting terror sites inside Pakistan. Later, India blocked several Pakistani social media handles and put the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance.

The Instagram and X profiles of Pakistani celebrities such as Hania Aamir, Mahira Khan, Shahid Afridi, Mawra Hocane and Fawad Khan once again became inaccessible to Indian users by Thursday morning. Additionally, Pakistani YouTube channels such as Hum TV, ARY Digital and Har Pal Geo have also become inaccessible again. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is yet to react to the sudden appearance and disappearance of the handles.