Social media accounts of Fawad Khan, Hania Aamir and many Pakistani celebs banned again in India

The news of Pakistani artists’ social media profiles being visible to Indian audiences was hugely criticised online on Wednesday.

Several Pakistani actors like Hania Aamir, Mahira Khan, Saba Qamar and Mawra Hocane’s Instagram profiles were visible in India on Wednesday, which caused a stir online. However, now, a day after or within 23 hours to be specific, these accounts have been banned again in India.

On Thursday, several Pakistani actors’ profiles could not be accessed on Instagram and X. Within a day, the ban was again reinstated on Pakistani artists. This list also includes Shahid Afridi, Fawad Khan, Fahad Mustafa and Ahad Raza Mir. However, the government has not made any formal announcement about the reinstatement of the ban on Pakistani celebrities.

For the unversed, following India’s Operation Sindoor, tensions between India and Pakistan reached a high, at which point the limitations on Pakistani accounts were put into effect. The Indian military carried out precision attacks against terrorist facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of Operation Sindoor. Following their public criticism of India’s military action, a number of Pakistani singers, including Hania Aamir, faced blowback from their Indian fan base and had their accounts blocked in India.

India-Pakistan collaboration

After the Pahalgam attack, once again, Pakistani actors were banned from Indian films. However, Hania Aamir by then had shot for the Punjabi film Sardaar Ji 3 starring Diljit Dosanjh. As soon as the film’s trailer was released last month, the cast and makers of Sardaar Ji 3 faced backlash. Amid all this, the makers of the film decided to release their film in overseas theatres and skipped the Indian release to favour Indian sentiments. Celebs and social media seemed divided on this. While several criticised the makers and Diljit for casting Hania, others showed support and agreed that when the film was shot, the relationship between India and Pakistan seemed normal. However, the film was released in Pakistan and is performing well. The overseas collection of Sardaar Ji 3 is also good.

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