The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has issued a new order to OTT platforms operating in India. Amid rising political tensions with Pakistan, the government has told all streamers to stop broadcasting Pakistani content.
“In the interest of national security, all OTT platforms, media streaming platforms and intermediaries operating in India are advised to discontinue the web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming media content, whether made available on a subscription based model or otherwise, having its origins in Pakistan with immediate effect,” read a notice, shared by news agency ANI.
What is the context of the decision?
The decision comes a day after the Indian army’s Operation Sindoor which avenged the barbaric terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22.
Under Operation Sindoor, which lasted from 1.04am to 1.30am, Indian armed forces struck as many as nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the early hours of Wednesday.
The renewed hostilities between India and Pakistan have already impacted financial markets, with non-deliverable forwards on the Indian rupee indicating a sharp weakening. Pakistan, in a precautionary move, closed its airspace following the Indian strikes, according to Pakistan International Airlines Corp.
Impact on movies and actors
There has been an impact on the world of entertainment as well. The Indian government as blocked the account of several Pakistani celebrities in India. These include Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Hania Amir, Atif Aslam and others.
Fawad was about to make his Bollywood comeback after year with Abir Gulaal, also starring Vaani Kapoor. The film’s future is uncertain now.
Instagram accounts of former Jal band member and Mere Humsafar actor Farhan Saeed, Ali Sethi of Pasoori fame, Saba Qamar (Hindi Medium), and Adnan Siddiqui (Mom) are also inaccessible in India. “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content”: this message was displayed when users in India tried to access the pages of these artistes.
