Chandigarh, May 1 — The Instagram accounts of popular Pakistani stars Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, and Ali Zafar were blocked in India on Wednesday evening, days after a deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, that left 26 people dead, most of them tourists.
The move follows growing diplomatic and cultural fallout between India and Pakistan, as Indian authorities have blamed Pakistan for orchestrating the attack.
The Indian government has since announced a series of punitive actions, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, the closure of the Wagah border crossing, and a reduction in diplomatic engagement.
Adding to the crackdown, India earlier this week also banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, citing the spread of “harmful and sensitive” content.
While Pakistani celebrities have long enjoyed significant fan followings in India, the current tensions are again threatening the fragile cultural ties between the two nations.
Actress Hania Aamir, who is widely recognized in India for her work in Pakistani television dramas, posted a message of solidarity following the Kashmir incident:
“Tragedy anywhere is a tragedy for all,” she wrote, offering sympathy to the victims and their families.
Mahira Khan, who starred opposite Shah Rukh Khan in the 2017 Bollywood film Raees, has not worked in India since 2016, when an unofficial ban on Pakistani artists was imposed following escalating border tensions.
Singer-actor Ali Zafar, another artist affected by the Instagram block, has previously worked in Bollywood and maintains a large Indian fan base.
With artists now caught in the diplomatic crossfire, observers say cultural exchange between the two countries—already strained—is once again at risk of freezing entirely.
