NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday withheld Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif’s X account, amid rising tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad after the Pahalgam terror attack. The move comes five days after the government had suspended Pakistan government’s account.
On Monday, the government had banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative, communally sensitive content and misinformation targeting India. Acting on the recommendation of the ministry of home affairs, the ban applies to prominent outlets such as Dawn News, ARY News, Geo News, Samaa TV, and individual creators including former cricketer Shoaib Akhtar.
Last week, India had blocked access to the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Pakistan government, @GovtofPakistan, following a legal request.
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This move follows a series of diplomatic measures taken by India after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack, including expelling Pakistani officials, suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, and halting visas for Pakistani nationals. All Pakistani nationals have been asked to leave by 27 April, with medical visas valid until 29 April.
Last week, the Pakistan’s defence minister sparked widespread controversy when in a viral video clip in he admitted that Islamabad has historically funded and supported terrorist groups.
“We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about 3 decades… and the west, including Britain…That was a mistake, and we suffered for that, and that is why you are saying this to me. If we had not joined the war against the Soviet Union and later on the war after 9/11, Pakistan’s track record was unimpeachable,” he had said.
Asif further said that any attack by India could lead to an “all-out war” between the two nuclear-armed nations, Dawn reported.
“If there is an all-out attack or something like that, then obviously there will be an all-out war,” Asif told Sky News, adding the world should be “worried” about the risk of full-scale conflict.
Rejecting allegations of Pakistani involvement, Asif said, “The reaction that came from Delhi was not surprising… this whole thing was staged to create some sort of crisis.”
He also questioned the credibility of The Resistance Front (TRF), the group allegedly behind the attack, saying, “Never heard of that organisation.”
