India Blocks Instagram Accounts of Top Pakistani Cricketers and Celebrities Amid Post-Pahalgam Crackdown

India on Friday, May 2, 2025, blocked the Instagram accounts of several prominent Pakistani cricketers, including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Wasim Akram.

This move marked an escalation in India’s digital restrictions against Pakistani public figures following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in south Kashmir.

Cricketers and Celebrities Face Restrictions

The list of blocked accounts also includes Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood, pacers Hasan Ali and Naseem Shah, batter Imam-ul-Haq, all-rounder Shadab Khan, and former players Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi.

Instagram accounts of popular figures like Olympic javelin gold medallist Arshad Nadeem and former Prime Minister and cricket captain Imran Khan are also now inaccessible in India.

Users attempting to visit these profiles are met with a message stating: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”

Instagram further added, “We reviewed it against our policies and conducted a legal and human rights assessment. After the review, we restricted access to the content in the location where it goes against local law.”

Olympic Champion Arshad Nadeem’s Account Also Blocked

Arshad Nadeem, who recently won gold at the Paris Olympics and had been invited by Indian javelin star Neeraj Chopra to the NC Classic event in Bengaluru, also had his Instagram account blocked on Thursday.

He had declined the invitation citing prior commitments. His page now shows the same restricted content message to Indian users.

Aftermath of Pahalgam Attack Sparks Digital Crackdown

These actions come days after a deadly terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, a popular tourist town in south Kashmir.

In the attack, 26 individuals—mostly tourists—lost their lives and several others were injured when terrorists opened fire near a meadow.

In response to the attack, the Indian government initiated a series of steps to limit the digital influence of Pakistani personalities on Indian audiences.

The Ministry of Home Affairs recommended the content restrictions, which were quickly enforced across multiple platforms.

YouTube Channels Also Targeted

Earlier in the week, India also restricted several Pakistani YouTube channels, citing their role in spreading “false, provocative and communally sensitive content.”

Channels that were affected include Dawn News, SAMAA TV, ARY NEWS, Geo News, BOL News, and GNN, among others. Individual channels such as those run by Shoaib Akhtar, Basit Ali, and Shahid Afridi were also withheld.

Interestingly, while their YouTube presence was curtailed, some of their Instagram accounts remained available—until the latest wave of restrictions came into effect on Friday.

Political Figures Not Spared

In addition to cricketers and celebrities, the Instagram account of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and YouTube content associated with him were also restricted in India.

The Instagram account of Imran Khan is no longer accessible to Indian users either.

The government justified these actions as necessary to curb misinformation and digital narratives deemed harmful to India’s national security.

Authorities expressed strong objections to foreign media coverage, particularly the BBC’s reporting on the Pahalgam incident.

Shahid Afridi’s Social Media Activity Under Scrutiny

On Sunday, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi had shared a post on social media, where he criticised the Indian Army and claimed Pakistan’s innocence regarding the Pahalgam attack.

His post received wide attention, prompting further calls for tighter control over digital content emanating from across the border.

Pakistani Celebrities Among Blocked Users

Beyond the sports community, the digital crackdown also affected several Pakistani celebrities. Instagram accounts belonging to actors Mahira Khan, Ali Zafar, and Hania Aamir were reported blocked in India.

This widespread move highlights the Indian government’s intent to curtail the reach of Pakistani influencers in the country amid growing tensions.