India fails to get Quad support over Pahalgam attack allegations against Pakistan

India reverses ban on select Pakistani channels, celebrities’ accounts

AFP
WASHINGTON: In another diplomatic setback for India, the Quad alliance—comprising the United States, Japan, Australia, and India—refused to endorse New Delhi’s narrative blaming Pakistan for the Pahalgam attack.
The group merely condemned the incident and urged that the perpetrators be brought to justice, without naming or implicating any country, dealing a blow to India’s attempts to internationalize its narrative against Pakistan.
The April 22 attack sparked heavy fighting between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India in the latest escalation of a decades-old rivalry as India blamed it on Pakistan without offering any evidence.
The ministers called on all members of the United Nations to cooperate actively with “all relevant authorities” in delivering justice to the “perpetrators, organisers and financiers of this reprehensible act”.
In May, Pakistan and India engaged in the military confrontation triggered by April’s Pahalgam attack in IIOJK.
In response to the Indian aggression, Pakistan’s armed forces launched a large-scale retaliatory military action, named “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos”, and targeted several Indian military targets across multiple regions.
Pakistan downed its six fighter jets, including three Rafales, and dozens of drones. After at least 87 hours, the war between the two nuclear-armed nations ended on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the US.
The ceasefire was first announced by US President Donald Trump on social media after Washington held talks with both sides, but India has differed with Trump’s claims that it resulted from his intervention and threats to sever trade talks.
However, Pakistan has acknowledged Trump’s efforts and formally recommended him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his role in defusing tensions between Pakistan and India.
India reverses ban on select Pakistani channels, celebrities’ accounts
India has lifted the ban on Pakistani YouTube channels and artists’ social media accounts, allowing Indian viewers to once again access to Pakistani content.
Ahad Raza Mir, Mawra Hocane, Yumna Zaidi and Danish Taimoor are among the celebrities whose accounts have been reinstated.
However, several accounts are still inaccessible to Indian users, including those of Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, Wahaj Ali, Iqra Aziz, Farhan Saeed and Hania Aamir.
After the April 22 shooting, India had imposed restrictions on Pakistani YouTube channels and the social media profiles of several Pakistani actors and celebrities.
Posters featuring Pakistani stars Mahira Khan and Mawra Hocane were also removed from Bollywood movie posters on streaming platforms.
Indian social media users confirmed that the ban has been lifted by sharing screenshots of previously blocked Pakistani channels and accounts.
Several Indian media outlets, including India Today and Hindustan Times, also reported the lifting of the ban, confirming that access to Pakistani YouTube channels and some celebrity Instagram accounts has been restored.