Instagram Blocks Pakistani Celebrities' Accounts in India After Pahalgam Attack

Instagram has blocked access to several Pakistani celebrities' accounts in India following a legal request, days after a terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, left 26 civilians dead.

Users attempting to view the Instagram profiles of popular Pakistani stars such as Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, Sanam Saeed, and Ali Zafar in India are now met with a message stating: "Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content."

The move comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 attack. While Meta has not publicly detailed the nature of the legal request, such restrictions are typically enforced when governments cite national security or public order concerns.

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Other celebrities whose accounts have been blocked include actors Bilal Abbas, Iqra Aziz, Ayeza Khan, Imran Abbas, and Sajal Aly.

The aftermath of the attack has also cast uncertainty over the release of Abir Gulaal, a film starring Fawad Khan. However, Fawad's Instagram account remains accessible in India.

Interestingly, the accounts of several other Pakistani artists—including singers Atif Aslam, Farhan Saeed, Ali Sethi, and Shafqat Amanat Ali, as well as actors Mawra Hocane, Saba Qamar, Adnan Siddiqui, Hamza Ali Abbasi, and Churails stars Sarwat Gilani, Mehar Bano, Nimra Bucha, and Yasra Rizvi—remain active and viewable by Indian users.

While there has been no official comment from Pakistan's government or the celebrities affected, the restrictions mark a renewed flashpoint in cultural and digital exchanges between the two countries, often caught in the crossfire of geopolitical tensions.

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