India blocks Pakistan ex-PM Imran's Instagram account
New Delhi widened tit-for-tat measures against Islamabad on Saturday, blocking access to the social media accounts of Pakistani politicians, actors and cricketers.
On social media, India banned on April 28 more than a dozen Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly spreading 'provocative' content, including Pakistani news outlets.
On Saturday, further restrictions blocked access in India to the Instagram account of Pakistan's ex-prime minister and cricket captain Imran Khan. The YouTube account of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also banned in India.
Bollywood movie regulars Fawad Khan and Atif Aslam were also off limits, as well as a wide range of cricketers — including star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan and retired players Shahid Afridi and Wasim Akram.
The Instagram accounts of major Pakistani actors, including Hania Aamir, Ayeza Khan, Mahira Khan, Sajal Aly, Bilal Abbas, lara Aziz and Ali Zafar, are no longer accessible to users in India. Actor and singer Ali Zafar's social media accounts is also banned in India.
Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem's Instagram account was also no longer accessible to Indian users, reflecting the broad scope of the clampdown beyond just cricket. Users in India attempting to access these accounts are shown a message indicating that they are unavailable due to compliance with a legal request.
The text on the Instagram pages of these artists reads, 'Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.'
When the news broke that several Pakistani artists' Instagram pages have been blocked in India after government action, Indian fans had one burning question — what about Hania Aamir? Unfortunately for these fans, they won't be able to enjoy any more of Aamir's content without a VPN because her account is no longer accessible in India.
Moreover, many other Pakistani YouTube channels have been banned in India for provocative and communally sensitive content, along with false and misleading narratives targeting India, its Army, and security agencies.
The other banned channels include Dawn News, Irshad Bhatti, SAMAA TV, ARY NEWS, BOL NEWS, Raftar, The Pakistan Reference, Geo News, Samaa Sports, GNN, Uzair Cricket, Umar Cheema Exclusive, Asma Shirazi, Muneeb Farooq, SUNO News HD, and Razi Naama.
Agencies
I
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
8 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Pakistan condemns Trump's bombing of Iran — a day after nominating him for Peace Prize
Tariq Butt, Gulf Today Correspondent / Reuters Pakistan condemned on Sunday the strikes ordered on its neighbour Iran by Donald Trump, a day after Islamabad had said it would nominate the US President for the Nobel Peace Prize. Pakistan on Sunday said Trump's decision to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities violated international law and that diplomacy was the only way to resolve the Iran crisis. "The unprecedented escalation of tension and violence, owing to ongoing aggression against Iran is deeply disturbing. Any further escalation of tensions will have severely damaging implications for the region and beyond," Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Shiite activists hold placards to condemn US and Israel's attacks on Iran, during a protest in Karachi on Sunday. AFP Also on Sunday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif telephoned Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and "conveyed Pakistan's condemnation of the U.S. attacks," a statement from the Pakistani leader said. Pakistan's information minister and the foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the apparent contradiction in the country's positions over the weekend. In Pakistan's biggest city, Karachi, thousands marched in protest against the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Shiites hold portraits of Iran's Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to condemn US and Israel's attacks on Iran, during a protest in Karachi. AFP A large American flag with a picture of Trump on it was placed on the road for demonstrators to walk over. The protesters shouted out chants against America, Israel and Pakistan's regional enemy India. Pakistan on Saturday said it was nominating Trump as "a genuine peacemaker" for his role in bringing a four-day conflict with India to an end last month. It said he had "demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship." Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar has formally sent a letter of recommendation to the Nobel Committee in Norway, nominating US President Donald Trump for the Nobel peace prize. Officials said the letter cited Trump's role in defusing tensions between Pakistan and India earlier this year. The move recognises Trump's efforts in bringing about a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbours and for highlighting the Kashmir dispute on the international stage. The development comes after the government's announcement, made earlier on social media, of its decision to formally nominate Trump for the world's most prestigious peace award. Pakistani nationals who were residing in Iran, arrive with their belongings in Quetta. AFP In a statement issued on X, the federal government said that the international community had witnessed "unprovoked and unlawful Indian aggression," which it described as a "grave violation" of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The attack, according to the statement, resulted in the "tragic loss of innocent lives, including women, children, and the elderly." In response, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos - a "measured, resolute, and precise military" countermeasure. The operation, Pakistan stressed, was executed to re-establish deterrence and defend its territorial integrity while "consciously avoiding civilian harm." Amid the heightened tensions, the statement noted that President Trump "demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship" by engaging diplomatically with both Islamabad and New Delhi. This effort, it added, helped de-escalate the rapidly worsening situation, secured a ceasefire, and prevented a wider regional conflict. The government hailed Trump's actions as those of a "genuine peacemaker" with a firm commitment to resolving conflict through dialogue.
Middle East Eye
12 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Indian Prime Minister calls for de-escalation in phone call with Iran's president
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged calm and dialogue during a phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to a statement from India's foreign ministry. Modi was briefed on the latest developments in the Iran-Israel conflict during the call, the ministry said on Sunday. He 'emphasised the need for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward' and reaffirmed India's backing for 'early restoration of regional peace, security and stability,' the statement added.
Gulf Today
16 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Japan's high-tech sunscreens tap into skincare craze
When YouTuber Hannah Price set out to compare Japanese and Australian sunscreen, she wasn't expecting her deep dive into the subject to rack up over two million views. The huge number of people poring over Price's video shows the growing interest in skincare products from Japan, much like the K-beauty phenomenon from South Korea. It includes sun protection, increasingly recognised as a daily essential by influencers who want to shield their skin from ageing and enthuse about the lightweight texture of Japanese brands. Companies that have perfected their secret formulas want to capitalise on booming demand, including by building factories overseas and selling to Japan's record influx of foreign tourists. Price, 32, fell into a "year-long rabbit hole" while making her video, learning about everything from SPF science to cultural attitudes to sun exposure. "I always loved Japanese sunscreen, since I first moved to Japan in 2012," she told the media at her studio in Tokyo. "I remember trying it for the first time and thinking, 'this is so much better than anything I tried in Australia'," her home country where sun cream felt "thick, sticky, greasy". "I thought that the video would be popular... but I wasn't expecting it to reach as far" as it did, Price said. The habit of regular sunscreen use is spreading, especially among younger generations, said Takuya Wada, who works in marketing for Japanese chemical and cosmetics firm Kao. "There are no borders when it comes to obtaining information on social media, especially Instagram and TikTok," he said, adding that influencer posts have a "very large" impact on global sunscreen sales. This photo shows Takashi Fukui speaking in an interview at the company's research lab in Tokyo. AFP 'Beautifully white' The global skincare market was worth more than $115 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow to $194 billion by 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights. A boom in celebrity skincare brands has contributed to the industry's growth -- with A-listers like Kylie Jenner using social media to share their beauty routines, including sun protection, with hundreds of millions of followers. When it comes to sunscreen, country-specific regulations mean no single company dominates the field, as the entry barriers to new markets are higher. Kao's main sunscreen brand Biore UV is ranked 10th worldwide for sales, and second in Asia -- competing with the likes of L'Oreal and Beiersdorf, and Japanese rivals such as Shiseido. The company wants sales from sun protection to reach 35 billion yen ($240 million) in 2027, up 1.6 times from 2023. It plans to boost overseas production by opening three new sunscreen factories, in Indonesia, Brazil and Germany. It is technically difficult to develop formulas that block the rays effectively with a smooth texture, as demanded by Japanese consumers, said Takashi Fukui, research and development director for Kao skincare products. But using scientific know-how to strike this tricky balance is what makes Kao "different from other European or American makers". In Japan, a cultural obsession with light skin dates back to the sixth century and using white powder imported from China later became a status symbol among nobility. Fair skin indicated a life away from outdoor labour and sun exposure, and an old Japanese proverb says "white skin covers the seven flaws". In the 1990s, people began using sunscreen or other cosmetics to avoid tanning -- a trend dubbed "bihaku", or beautifully white. These days, Japanese women use sunscreen as everyday protection against sunspots and ageing, caused when UV rays penetrate into the skin, said Fukui. Winter sun Tans have long been fashionable in Western countries, but awareness of skin cancer risks is rising, making sunscreen an important healthcare product there, Fukui said. One fan of Japanese brands is Thai skincare influencer Suari Tasanakulpan, who calls them "lightweight" compared to "heavy and uncomfortable" Western offerings. "There are always new technologies and innovative textures that are often ahead of other countries," the 40-year-old, who reviews sunscreens on YouTube, told the media. At an outlet of drugstore chain MatsukiyoCocokara in Tokyo's Shibuya district, around 90 sunscreen products are lined up on the shelves. "Sales of sunscreen is improving year on year," said Takeshi Otsuki, deputy manager of the chain's cosmetic division. "More people are using sunscreen on a daily basis these days, so their needs are becoming more diverse," he said. The number of male customers is also increasing, and Japanese sunscreens are very popular with overseas tourists who buy them in multipacks, Otsuki said. While summer is high season, sunscreen is popular year-round, because Japan has a "relatively high number of sunny days in the winter, and the sunlight hours are long". YouTuber Price now uses both Japanese and Australian sunscreen, depending on the occasion. She sees the rise in education about sunscreens worldwide as a win-win situation. It "means you're going to be better protected in general, which is great for everyone", she said. Agence France Presse
