KEY POINTS
- India blocks Instagram accounts of over two dozen top Pakistani movie actors
- The social media accounts were blocked after India’s anti-Pakistan narrative failed to gain traction globally
- Pakistani celebrities have called out India’s actions as immature and insecure
- Celebrities argue that silencing artists only exposes a fear of voices that bridge divides through creativity
ISLAMABAD: Frustrated by the world’s refusal to buy into its baseless accusations against Pakistan over the Pahalgam incident — a claim that has already been widely discredited — Indian authorities, in a recent move, have blocked the social media accounts of several prominent Pakistani movie stars, including Hania Amir, Mahira Khan, and Ali Zafar.
The silencing of artists — whose voices have long championed creativity over conflict — marks a worrying descent into digital censorship and cultural hostility.
Known for building bridges through art, not walls through politics, these Pakistani celebrities now find themselves caught in the crossfire of a narrative war.
As India leans further into performative politics over meaningful dialogue, Pakistan’s stars are calling out the immaturity behind these tactics.
They argue that such actions don’t reflect strength, but rather a deepening divide where reaction replaces reason, and petty gestures take the place of mature diplomacy.
The big names, including several Pakistani celebrities who are banned, are Mahira Khan, who acted alongside Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in the 2017 film Raees, and Ali Zafar has worked in several Bollywood movies.
Both of these Pakistani actors are also highly popular in India. While Hania has not worked in India, she has a huge Indian fan base for her Pakistani shows and her content on Instagram.
Apart from them, other Pakistani actors whose Instagram accounts are not accessible in India include Sanam Saeed, Bilal Abbas, Iqra Aziz, Imran Abbas, and Sajal Aly.
When Indian users try to access these accounts, they get hit with a blank page that reads: “Your user is unavailable in India… Because of a legal request, we have to restrict access to your user.”
This latest move follows India’s sweeping ban on sixteen Pakistani YouTube channels, including several prominent media voices, just days ago — a clear escalation in the digital clampdown.
The crackdown on Pakistan’s online media platforms and celebrity Instagram accounts unfolds against the backdrop of rising tensions between the two neighbours.
What began as misinformation-fueled hostility has now spiralled into a broader diplomatic standoff, with India responding in dramatic fashion — from suspending the long-standing Indus Waters Treaty, in direct violation of international commitments, to urging Pakistani nationals to leave the country.
List of Pakistan’s celebrities whose accounts are blocked:
India has blocked the Instagram accounts of several celebrated Pakistani actors and musicians, proving once again that when logic fails, petty censorship prevails.
From globally acclaimed names like Mahira Khan, Atif Aslam, and Fawad Khan, to TV stars like Hania Aamir, Iqra Aziz, and Ayeza Khan, a long list of Pakistani celebrities has been digitally “disappeared” from Indian screens.
Users in India attempting to visit their profiles were greeted with the message: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”
This sweeping ban includes over two dozen high-profile figures, such as Sanam Saeed, Ali Zafar, Bilal Abbas, Saba Qamar, Hamza Ali Abbasi, and Ali Sethi — a who’s who of Pakistani talent that has long been celebrated on both sides of the border for their artistic contributions.
While the world embraces art as a bridge across borders, India seems intent on burning it down, one Instagram handle at a time.
In place of diplomacy and dialogue, it has chosen foolish overreach, attempting to erase influence rather than engage with it.
This bizarre blackout doesn’t hurt Pakistani celebrities — it only reflects India’s growing discomfort with voices it can’t control.
The fate of Abir Gulaal, a much-anticipated film starring Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan, now hangs in the balance amid India’s recent spree of digital censorship targeting Pakistani artists.
With rising tensions and politically charged crackdowns, the film’s release is under a cloud of uncertainty.
While the Instagram accounts of several notable Pakistani public figures — including musical icons Atif Aslam, Farhan Saeed, Ali Sethi, and Shafqat Amanat Ali — are still accessible to Indian users, they teeter on the edge of being blocked at any moment.
The same goes for celebrated actors such as Mawra Hocane (Sanam Teri Kasam), Saba Qamar (Hindi Medium), Adnan Siddiqui (Mom), and Hamza Ali Abbasi, as well as the powerful ensemble cast of Churails — Sarwat Gilani, Mehar Bano, Nimra Bucha, and Yasra Rizvi.
One particularly unfortunate casualty was comedian Shehzad Ghias, whose podcast The Pakistan Experience is now also part of the forbidden list.
Still, with VPNs, fan loyalty, and a solid sense of humour, Pakistani celebs don’t seem too rattled.
