India blocks X accounts of Imran Khan, Bilawal Bhutto

New Delhi, May 4 (IANS) The Indian government on Sunday blocked the X accounts of Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and former Pak Prime Minister and PTI founder Imran Khan.

The official X handles of both have been withheld following their anti-India and malicious content regarding the current tense situation.

India has already blocked the official X handle of the Government of Pakistan and also the X account of the country’s Defence Minister Khwaja Asif. The X account of Pakistan Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar was withheld in India, days after he had claimed that India was planning to carry out a military strike, citing “credible intelligence".

The action comes following the dastardly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which killed 26 people and injured several others.

India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content, along with false and misleading narratives targeting India, its Army, and security agencies.

The decision was taken by the Government of India based on recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs following the dastardly Pahalgam terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir.

The banned channels include Dawn News, Irshad Bhatti, SAMAA TV, ARY NEWS, BOL NEWS, Raftar, The Pakistan Reference, Geo News, Samaa Sports, GNN, Uzair Cricket, Umar Cheema Exclusive, Asma Shirazi, Muneeb Farooq, SUNO News HD, and Razi Naama. These channels were found to be disseminating disinformation related to India's national security, foreign relations, and public order.

Together, these YouTube channels had a cumulative viewership of several crores. They were spreading false and unverified information aimed at creating panic, inciting communal disharmony, and disturbing public order within India, according to an official statement.

Following the deadly attack, India has launched a strong diplomatic offensive and a series of sweeping retaliatory actions after Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the assault a "cowardly attack on innocent civilians."

The attack, orchestrated by Pakistan-based terror outfit The Resistance Front, has triggered a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries. In response to the attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), led by Prime Minister Modi, announced several stringent measures. These include the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the Attari-Wagah border, cancellation of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) for Pakistani nationals, expulsion of Pakistan's military attaches from New Delhi and a reduction in diplomatic staff at both High Commissions.

--IANS

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