After social media crackdown, India also bans Pakani web series, movies, and songs on OTT; everything to know

Following the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that left several Indian civilians and a Nepali national dead, the Indian government has ramped up its digital crackdown on Pakani figures and content. As part of the response, Instagram accounts of several prominent Pakani celebrities — including actors Hania Amir, Ali Zafar, and Mahira Khan — have been blocked from public access within India. Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan, Farhan Saeed and Hania Aamir Further escalating the pressure, the government on May 8 issued a formal advisory to all OTT platforms and digital streaming services, instructing them to immediately remove any web series, films, music, podcasts, or other content that originates from Pakan. The advisory, framed under the IT Rules, 2021, cites national security concerns and aims to prevent the dissemination of content deemed harmful to India’s sovereignty or public order. Minry of Information and Broadcasting bans Pakani contentThe advisory, issued under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, cites national security concerns as the primary reason for the ban. It applies to all forms of digital content — films, series, music, podcasts, and more — whether available freely or through paid subscriptions. “In the interest of national security, all OTT platforms, media streaming platforms and intermediaries operating in India are advised to discontinue the web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming media content, whether made available on a subscription based model or otherwise, having its origins in Pakan with immediate effect,” read the advisory dated 8 May. While the directive is advisory in nature and not legally binding, it reinforces the government’s expectation that platforms comply with Rule 3(1)(b) of the IT Rules, which mandates efforts to prevent content that could threaten India’s sovereignty or international relations. Major platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, YouTube, and Spotify are now expected to review and potentially remove Pakani-origin content in accordance with the advisory. AICWA’s action against Pakani actorsPreviously, the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) had sharply criticised Pakani actors such as Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan for what it described as “anti-India” remarks following Operation Sindoor, claiming the actors publicly denounced India’s military response to the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which killed several civilians. “These statements are not only offensive to our country, but they also belittle the sacrifices made innocent civilians and our armed forces. AICWA maintains a complete and unwavering ban on all Pakani arts, producers, and financial collaborators within the Indian entertainment industry. Indian professionals will not engage with Pakani talent or share any public or global platform with them,” the statement said. The move aligns with broader digital restrictions that followed the Pahalgam attack. Authorities had earlier blocked access to 16 Pakan-linked YouTube channels, including those of news outlets and journals. Platforms also removed the YouTube channels of Pakan’s Prime Miner Shehbaz Sharif and sports figures like Shaheen Afridi and Shoaib Malik from Indian viewership.