India blocks Instagram account of Pakistani singer Abida Parveen amid tension over Pahalgam attack

Before Abida Parveen, the central government had blocked the Instagram accounts of Hania Amir, Ali Zafar and Mahira Khan, after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Updated on: May 5, 2025, 07:48:01 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Instagram account of Pakistani singer Abida Parveen has been blocked in India amid tensions between the two nations over the Pahalgam terror attack. The move came days after the Instagram accounts of several Pakistani actors were blocked.

Pakistani Sufi singer Abida Parveen's Instagram account was blocked after those of actors Hania Amir, Ali Zafar and Mahira Khan. (AFP)

The message from Instagram on Parveen's account reads, "Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content."

Follow Pahalgam terror attack news live updates

In the aftermath of the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that left 26 people dead, the central government blocked the Instagram accounts of several Pakistani actors, including Hania Amir, Ali Zafar and Mahira Khan.

On Sunday, the X accounts of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and ex-minister Bilawal Bhutto were blocked in India. Both their accounts had been withheld "in response to a legal demand".

India bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels

Last week, the Centre also announced a ban on 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for their provocative and communally sensitive content and misinformation against India.

The banned platforms included YouTube channels of major news outlets like Geo News, Dawn, Raftar, Bol News, ARY News, Samaa TV, Suno News. Additionally, YouTube channels of well-known journalists, including Muneeb Farooq, Umar Cheema, Asma Shirazi, and Irshad Bhatti, had been blocked.

Pakistani actor Fawad Khan's comeback Bollywood film 'Abir Gulal' was also not released in India.

Fawad Khan was last seen in the Anushka Sharma-Ranbir Kapoor starrer 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'.

Since the terror attack on an Indian Army base took place in Uri in September 2016, no Pakistani actors have worked in the Indian film industry.

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HT News Desk
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