The social media accounts of a number of Pakistani celebrities, such as Fawad Khan, Saba Qamar, Yumna Zaidi, and Mawra Hocane, were again blocked in India on Thursday, a day after they were made visible temporarily.
Indian authorities have given reasons that the temporary unblocking was due to a technical hitch, according to India Today.
Major Pakistani You Tube channels as well became exposed but temporarily shut down. The platforms such as Instagram now depict the following message: “Accounts not available in India…we followed a legal demand to limit this content.”
The first block was on the announcement of India to go digital following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in IIOJK that killed 26 people. India accused Pakistan of doing it, which Islamabad refutes.
Pakistani celebrities blasted India for its May 7 strikes on civilian and religious sites in Kotli, Bahawalpur, Bagh, and Muzaffarabad, prompting another wave of bans.
Celebrities such as Fahad Mustafa, Hina Altaf and Ushna Shah were among those who firmly condemned the attacks.
The abrupt cancellation and restoration of the ban have cast a doubt in the use of digital censorship and geoblocking which India uses to curb international dissent.
Regional audience support to cultural content has been increasing as fans in the region still complain about the politicisation surrounding culture contents.
