India bans IG handles of leading Pakistani actors following Pahalgam
As political tensions continue to brew, India has banned access to the Instagram accounts of Pakistani celebrities. Due to this, Indian netizens will not be able to see the profiles of stars such as Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, Sajal Ali, Iqra Aziz, Sanam Saeed, Imran Abbas, and more.
An attempt to do so would redirect them to a special message that states, “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this account.” The few stars who survived the first swing of the axe include Atif Aslam, Fawad Khan, and Mawra Hocane.
Dropping a hilarious comment on the matter, Arsalan Naseer wrote on Instagram Stories, “Fawad bhai, you worked on the film. Problems began on the border. But I got banned? Please don’t mind this, but you’re like that squirrel from Ice Age.”
Meanwhile, Zhalay Sarhadi didn’t hold back from criticising the move. “What are you trying to prove by banning us? Are you scared or something? One should conceal their vulnerability a little. It’s quite a desperate move in my opinion,” she said. “Also, have you heard of VPN? It’s a useful application!”
Following the news of the ban, Indian clothing brand Manish Malhotra removed Mahira and Hania’s posts from their Instagram handle.
Although the unannounced move came as a surprise to the digital world, a number of Indian netizens demanded a stricter cutback. “Ban Pakistani artist Fawad Khan’s Instagram account,” a user urged. “What about other Pakistani actors and Pakistani cricketers? I can still see Fawad Khan’s Instagram page,” another said.
Much like Arsalan, Pakistani netizens on the other hand not only expressed shock over the sudden action but also elevated it with hilarity. “Is this the war?” a user posed, adding a laughing emoji. “This is a very cheap gesture, honestly,” another wrote. Largely, the Pakistani digital world did not seem to rue the action.
The move comes after India restricted access to Pakistani entertainment channels, which sparked confusion online. “Playlists of old shows are available but the ongoing ones can’t be accessed,” an X user wrote.
The message displayed on YouTube in India reads, “This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order. For more details about government request removals, please visit the Google Transparency Report.”
Warfare in entertainment
As of late, Indian celebrities have been vocal in supporting their government’s decisions. While in conversation with Indian news agency PTI, screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar shared his opinion on allowing Pakistani artists to work in India, following the Pahalgam attack and resultant political tensions.
“It has been a one-way traffic,” Javed said, giving the examples of veterans like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Noor Jehan, and more. “And we gave them a great reception. They were great performers.”
He alleged that Lata Mangeshkar, who was once popular across both countries, did not receive the same treatment in Pakistan. “Why was there not a single performance of Lata Mangeshkar in Pakistan? I mean, we have received their artists with open arms, but it was not reciprocated by the establishment.”
He added, “I won’t complain to the people of Pakistan because they loved her. That’s why she was so popular. … But there was some blockage, and the blockage was the system.”
He shared another viewpoint, which he felt was “equally valid”. Questioning who’s benefiting from the ban on Pakistani artists, he claimed that the ban pleased right-wing fundamentalists in Pakistan who allegedly prefer for their artists to not go to India. “They want the distance because it suits them,” he added.
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