Shoaib Akhtar's YouTube channel banned in India after Pahalgam

NEW DELHI: India has blocked Shoaib Akhtar’s YouTube channel following the Pahalgam attack in Illegal Indian Occupied Kashmir (IIOK).

In an apparent attempt to suppress freedom of speech, the Indian government has also blocked YouTube channels of former cricketers Basit Ali and Rashid Latif, along with Shoaib Akhtar.

Shoaib Akhtar, the renowned Pakistani speedster, has a popular channel with over 3.5 million followers worldwide, where he shares his candid views on cricket and societal issues.

In addition to blocking Akhtar’s channel, India has shut down 16 Pakistani news channels that raised questions about the Pahalgam tragedy.

According to The Hindu report, Pakistani YouTube channels, which collectively have around 63 million subscribers, include major Pakistani news channels including ARY News, Dawn News, Samaa TV, Bol News, Raftar, Geo News, and Suno News.

YouTube channels run by journalists like Irshad Bhatti, Asma Shirazi, Umar Cheema, and Muneeb Farooq have also been blocked for Indian users.

The Indian government has accused Pakistani YouTube channels of provocative and ‘false’ narratives against New Delhi government.

On Tuesday, 26 men were killed at a tourist site in Pahalgam area of Indian Illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), shot dead in a meadow. India claimed without presenting any evidence that there were Pakistani elements linked to the attack, a claim Islamabad denies.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif while reiterating Pakistan’s strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, said that Pakistan as a responsible country was open to participate ‘in any neutral, transparent and credible investigation’ into Pahalgam incident.

He said contrary to it on the Eastern border, their neighbour continued a pattern of exploitation and levelling of baseless allegations and false accusations without credible investigation or verifiable evidences in the recent tragedy of Pahalgam which was ‘yet another example of this perpetual blame game which must come to a grinding halt.’

Addressing a passing out parade of Pakistan Military Academy cadets, the prime minister said that water had been a vital national interest of Pakistan and lifeline for its 240 million people and “Let there be no doubt at all that its availability would be safeguarded at all costs and circumstances.”