India blocks X accounts of Imran Khan, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari

India has blocked the X accounts of former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari within its territory.

This action follows the recent Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, mostly tourists. The move is part of a broader response by India, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) and expelling senior Pakistani diplomats.

The X accounts of both Khan and  Bhutto-Zardari have been withheld in India "in response to a legal demand", as indicated by a message on their profiles, the Hindustan Times reported.

Bhutto-Zardari had threatened that "blood would flow in rivers" if water was stopped, in a sharp response to India's decision to suspend the IWT.

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".

India has already 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 Pahalgam terrorist attack, allegedly carried out by The Resistance Front, an affiliate of the Pakistan-backed Islamic militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The banned Pakistani YouTube 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 Pahalgam 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 has triggered a sharp escalation in tensions between the two countries. In response to the attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security, led by Prime Minister Modi, announced several stringent measures. These include the suspension of the IWT, closure of the Attari-Wagah border in Punjab, cancellation of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals, expulsion of Pakistan's military attachés from New Delhi and a reduction in diplomatic staff at both high commissions.

With IANS inputs