Shoaib Akhtar’s YouTube channel banned in India after Pahalgam attack

Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated following the deadly attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which led to the Indian government banning 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including that of former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar.

The April 22 attack in Pahalgam resulted in the deaths of 26 people, mostly tourists. It is one of the deadliest attacks in the region since 2000, with responsibility claimed by a previously unknown group, The Resistance Front (TRF). India, without providing evidence, suggested cross-border involvement in the attack, while Pakistan has denied any links. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for a neutral investigation into the incident.

In response to the attack, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs recommended the ban of 16 Pakistani YouTube channels. These included major news outlets such as Dawn News, Samaa TV, ARY News, Geo News, Bol News, and Raftar, along with the personal YouTube channels of several journalists like Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq.

The channel of several popular individual creators, including cricket analyst Wasay Habib, has also been banned.

A screenshot from a news channel confirmed that users in India could not access these YouTube channels, with the Indian government alleging that they were spreading "false narratives" against India, its army, and security agencies. The authorities also accused these channels of pushing "provocative, communally sensitive" content that aimed to "incite communal tensions."

Among the banned channels was that of Shoaib Akhtar, a renowned former Pakistan fast bowler and cricket legend. Akhtar, who gained fame for his blistering pace and fiery personality, now shares his insights on cricket and current affairs on his YouTube channel. His channel’s inclusion in the ban has raised eyebrows, as Akhtar’s content is largely focused on sports, not political narratives.

Akhtar, who has a massive fan following, is known for his outspoken views, but there is no clear connection between his channel’s content and the claims made by the Indian authorities. The decision to block Akhtar’s channel highlights how even cricketing personalities with a strong presence on social media are being caught up in the growing tensions between the two nations.

In a similar vein, the podcast channel "The Pakistan Experience," hosted by content creator Shehzad Ghias, was also banned in India. 

Ghias, in a post on X, questioned, “Is our minor podcast a national security risk?” 

He further explained that his podcast, where he and fellow content creator Uzair Younus discussed the Pahalgam incident, was a balanced discussion with no content that should have warranted a ban. 

Ghias shared a link to the video titled "Are India and Pakistan about to go to war? - The aftermath of the Pahalgam incident," defending the podcast’s content as sensible.

The Indian Ministry of Home Affairs justified the bans by claiming the channels were pushing a narrative that could harm India’s image and create unrest. The crackdown on these channels comes just days after India also blocked the Pakistani government’s official X account amid rising tensions between the two countries.