Pakistan cricketing duo Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi are amongst the latest names to have seen their Instagram handles banned in India after an advisory was released by the Government of India on Friday (May 2). The advisory comes after a decision was taken on the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs as they join fellow former cricketers Shoaib Akhtar and Basit Ali, who had seen their YouTube channels banned in India. The decisions from the Government of India come in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, which left at least 26 dead.

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Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi IG accounts banned in India

"Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content,” a message read when netizens tried visiting cricketers’ accounts.

Alongside Babar and Afridi, cricketer Mohammad Rizwan, currently serving as the captain of the national side has also seen his account banned in India.

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According to National Investigation Agency (NIA) sources, the conspiracy behind the terror attack that killed 26 people, primarily tourists, was developed within Lashkar-e-Taiba, allegedly under directives issued by senior ISI operatives. The organisations are operational in Pakistan and have created unrest in India for a long time.

After the attack in Pahalgam, the Indian Government has taken strict measures against Pakistan which include closer of Air Space for Pakistan, closer of the Attar-Wagah Border and trade relations. In a major blow, last week the Indian Government also seized the Indus Waters Treaty for the first time since 1960.

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Earlier, key Pakistan figures like Hania Aamir (YouTuber) and Arshad Nadeem (Olympic Gold Medalist) had also seen their Instagram accounts suspended.

On the other hand, India-Pakistan matches are not on the calendar until September when they could meet in Asia Cup 2025. However, dark clouds now linger on the possible meetings between the sides at the Asia  Cup as diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan are at an all-time low.