ISLAMABAD: India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has blocked X and YouTube accounts of Pakistan TV Digital in the country, in a move that has raised fresh concerns over press freedom and access to information, according to a notice issued by social media platform X.
According to an official notice from X, the platform received a legal blocking order from India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, directing it to withhold access to the Pakistan TV Digital account for users in India.
Section 69A of India's Information Technology Act empowers the government to block online content or social media accounts if it deems such action necessary on grounds including national security, public order, or other legally specified reasons.
Separately, an email from YouTube informed Pakistan TV Digital that its YouTube channel has also been banned in India.
Editor-in-chief of Pakistan TV Digital, Saqib Tanveer, said the platform's editorial approach had remained consistent and professional.
“We don't just report on India; we report on every other part of the world as any news organization would do,” he said.
Tanveer said the decision would not deter the organization from its journalistic mission.
“No matter how undemocratic this ban is, we will continue to expose tyrannical regimes, especially the Indian tyrannical regime, before the world,” he said.
He added that the restriction also reflected the platform's growing international audience.
“Pakistan TV Digital is an international news platform that has consistently worked to provide factual and accurate news and commentary,” he said.
Commenting on the development, senior journalist Talat Hussain described the move as a reflection of what he called the Modi government's “desperation” to prevent independent reporting from reaching audiences.
“They did not want any independent assessment to come out. Facts were the real issue, and facts have always been an issue with the Modi government," Hussain said.
He argued that the authorities were unwilling to acknowledge facts related to the war (May 2025 conflict), the scale of protests, and developments concerning the “Cockroach Party,” adding that “it was not just about what you were saying; it was about what you were reporting.”
According to Hussain, Indian authorities had been closely monitoring the platform and “wanted to turn the tap off” at a time when they were facing mounting internal challenges.
“Had the Cockroach Party issue not arisen, they would probably have felt fakely confident about who they are. But with this domestic situation, and facts being bombarded by PTV Digital, I'm not surprised that they did this,” he said.
The blocking of Pakistan TV Digital's X account marks another episode in the growing restrictions on cross-border digital media access in India.
While the platform remains accessible to users outside India, Pakistan TV Digital has vowed to continue its journalism and international coverage despite the ban, maintaining that it will persist in reporting on regional and global developments.
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