OT Webdesk: In a significant escalation of diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan, the Indian government has blocked the X accounts of former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and ex-minister Bilawal Bhutto in India. This digital strike follows the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, 2025, which claimed 26 lives, including 25 tourists and a pony driver, in Jammu and Kashmir. The move is seen as part of India’s broader response to the attack, which has heightened fears of conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
The Pahalgam attack, one of the deadliest in recent years, has triggered a series of retaliatory measures from India, including suspending the Indus Water Treaty, halting activities at the Wagah Attari border, and expelling Pakistani officials. The decision to block the X accounts of Khan and Bhutto came after Khan posted condolences for the attack but accused India of “irresponsibly” blaming Pakistan without evidence, drawing parallels to the 2019 Pulwama attack. His comments, viewed as provocative by Indian authorities, likely contributed to the ban, which also affected Bhutto’s account due to a “legal demand,” as stated on the withheld profiles.
This is not the first instance of India targeting Pakistani digital presence. Earlier this week, India banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels with a combined 63 million subscribers, along with Instagram accounts of prominent Pakistani influencers like Mahira Khan and Hania Aamir, citing the spread of “provocative and communally sensitive content.” The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, acting on recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs, has been proactive in curbing narratives deemed harmful to national security.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, supporters of Imran Khan, who has been imprisoned since August 2023, have intensified their campaign for his release. Hashtags like #ReleaseKhanForPakistan and #FreeImranKhan have trended on X, with over 3 lakh posts demanding his freedom amid fears of an Indian military response. Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has also used the platform to criticize the Pakistani military, with tags like #PakistanUnderMilitaryFascism gaining traction. The timing of the X account bans in India has further fueled discontent among Khan’s supporters, who see it as an attempt to silence his voice during a critical period.
The Line of Control (LoC) remains tense, with reports of small arms fire exchanged between Indian and Pakistani forces. Political leaders in India, including Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale, have called for decisive action, with some advocating for reclaiming Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) or launching another surgical strike. As both nations brace for potential escalation, the digital battlefield has become a new frontier in this long-standing conflict, with social media platforms like X caught in the crossfire.
