Pakistani channel inciting Mewat violence taken down by YouTube

In response to complaints following the recent communal violence in Mewat, Haryana, YouTube has taken down a Pakistani channel known as "Ahsan Mewati Pakistani" that was under scrutiny for its role in inciting violence. The action was prompted by Indian authorities who raised concerns about the channel's content specifically crafted to create distrust among communities in the region.

The now-removed YouTube channel, with 273 videos and 80,000 followers, was dedicated to spreading misinformation and promoting violence during the recent Haryana communal unrest. Investigation into the channel's social media account revealed that it was registered under the email address "zeshanmushtaq668@gmail.com."

The individual behind the account, known as Zeeshan Mushtaq alias Ahsan Mewati Pakistani, was traced to Islamabad, Pakistan, with an IP address (121.52.159.144) belonging to the Pakistan Education & Research Network (PERN), which is an integral part of the Government of Pakistan's IT Action Plan 2002. PERN provides a centralised internet network to educational institutions in Pakistan.

On July 27, Ahsan travelled to Kot Mumin, near Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan, to record one of his incendiary videos, using a Telenor broadband network with the IP address 37.111.151.79.

On August 1, hemoved to Lahore, where he switched to the Zong broadband network, using the IP address 223.123.16.231 to upload videos. Hisfirst video wasrecorded near the cricket ground of Bismillah Montessori school, which was merely a kilometre away from the Chief Minister Punjab's secretariat.

The investigation revealed that Ahsan operated under two mobile phones, an Oppo and a Samsung device (model no: SM-875F). He used seven email addresses from the Oppo mobile and four from the Samsung device, with three of them also being logged in the Oppo phone. Additionally, Ahsan managed three social media accounts on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

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In the past, India's Information and Broadcasting Ministry has acted against Pakistan-based YouTube channels spreading fake news about the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir, and India's foreign relations, especially in the context of the situation in Ukraine.The removal of the "Ahsan Mewati Pakistani" channel will be seen as a significant step in curbing the spread of hate-filled content aimed at inciting violence and discord among communities.

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