Hania Amir and Shahid Afridi (from left) I Credits: X/@Faizanali_152, @HaniaAmir__

Pakistani celebrities once again disappeared from Indian social media feeds after their accounts were briefly unblocked due to what officials are calling a “technical glitch.” Instagram and X profiles of big names like Hania Aamir, Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, and Shahid Afridi became briefly visible to Indian users on Wednesday, sparking confusion and speculation.

However, by Thursday morning, the ban was back in place. A pop-up on Instagram now reads: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”

On July 2, Indian users suddenly found they could access Instagram and YouTube content from multiple Pakistani stars and entertainment channels. These included the Instagram profiles of Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor, along with YouTube channels like Hum TV, ARY Digital, and Har Pal Geo. This visibility lasted only a few hours.

The ban on Pakistani media accounts came after India’s Operation Sindoor, which targeted terror bases across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The military strike was a response to the Pahalgam terror attack in April, where 25 people were killed, including 24 Indian tourists.

After the operation, several Pakistani artists made public statements criticising India’s actions. This led to widespread backlash on Indian social media. Thereafter, the government directed OTT platforms and digital intermediaries to remove Pakistani content under the IT Rules 2021.

The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) strongly opposed the brief reappearance of Pakistani profiles. In an open letter to Prime Minister Modi, AICWA called it an insult to India’s martyrs.

Their demands included:

AICWA pointed to attacks like Pulwama, Uri, and 26/11 to justify their stance, calling Pakistan a “terrorist nation.”

For now, Pakistani profiles are once again hidden from Indian audiences. But the sudden glitch has raised fresh questions around how these bans are enforced and whether more permanent safeguards need to be in place.