By Ruchita
Social media users in India rejoiced on July 1, 2025, when the Instagram accounts of their favourite Pakistani celebrities were unblocked. Mawra Hocane, who made her Bollywood debut with Sanam Teri Kasam, was among the few Pakistani actors whose Instagram accounts were initially blocked and then restored. Alongside her, several other Pakistani celebrities, including former cricketers Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Akhtar, Basit Ali, and Rashid Latif, became accessible once again in India on July 2, nearly two months after being blocked by the Indian government. However, the decision sparked backlash from Indian social media users, who slammed the government for restoring access to these accounts. Shortly afterwards, citing a “technical glitch,” the accounts were re-blocked. Amid the ongoing cycle of blocking and unblocking Pakistani celebrities, Shahid Afridi found himself at the centre of controversy. A screenshot of a provocative Instagram story, allegedly posted by Afridi, went viral on social media. The post made bold claims about the Pahalgam terror attack and mocked the Indian government, even going as far as calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi “spineless” and accusing him of “behaving like a kid” in his dealings with Pakistan. The post read, “The Indian government has unbanned my social media accounts. They must have realised the Pahalgam attack was an insider job. Here’s some advice to the Indian government: the only way to solve the Kashmir issue is for India to give Kashmir to Pakistan. Narendra Modi, spineless person, don’t behave like a kid鈥攆irst banning accounts, now unbanning them. Pakistan Zindabad.” Fact check Shahid Afridi later clarified that the viral screenshot was fake and fabricated. However, by then, his account had already been re-blocked in India. In response to the uproar, the All-Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) issued a strong statement, calling for a complete ban on Pakistani artists and entertainment in India. On Wednesday, the association submitted an official request to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the government to sever all cultural and digital ties with Pakistan. AICWA referred to the incident as an “emotional attack” on the families of those who lost their lives in terror attacks. They specifically named Mawra Hocane and Yumna Zaidi, claiming their presence on Indian platforms was disrespectful to the soldiers who died defending the country. The association also reminded the public of previous terror attacks, including the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, Pulwama, Uri, and the recent Pahalgam attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians. AICWA further pointed out that some Pakistani celebrities had spoken out against India after Operation Sindoor, and reiterated their demand for a permanent, full-scale ban on all Pakistani artists and content in India, both online and offline.