Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif's X handle 'withheld' in India after Pahalgam attack

The Indian government on Tuesday blocked the X account of Pakistani defence minister Khawaja Asif in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists.

The action was taken a day after 16 Pakistani YouTube channels with a total of 63 million subscribers were banned in India for spreading “provocative and communally sensitive content".

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The government's move to ban the YouTube channels follows recommendations from the ministry of home affairs in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in the upper reaches of the Kashmir resort town in which 26 people were killed. Besides, the ministry of external affairs will be monitoring reporting of the BBC, which termed terrorists as militants, officials said.

The YouTube channels blocked are Dawn News, Irshad Bhatti, SAMAA TV, ARY NEWS, BOL NEWS, Raftar, The Pakistan Reference, Geo News, Samaa Sports, GNN, Uzair Cricket, Umar Cheema Exclusive, Asma Shirazi, Muneeb Farooq, SUNO News and Razi Naama.

Khawaja Asif, in a recent TV interview, admitted to Pakistan's history of supporting and funding terrorist organisations.

At the United Nations, India said the open confession of Pakistan's defence minister exposes Pakistan as a “rogue state” fuelling global terrorism and destabilising the region.

India’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, ambassador Yojna Patel delivered a strong Right of Reply at the hybrid launch event for the ‘Victims of Terrorism Association Network’ (VoTAN) of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism here Monday when Pakistan’s delegate made a reference to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

"It is unfortunate that one particular delegation has chosen to misuse and undermine this forum to indulge in propaganda and make baseless allegations against India," Patel said.

"The whole world has heard the Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitting and confessing Pakistan's history of supporting, training and funding terrorist organisations in a recent television interview,” she said.

Patel asserted that “this open confession surprises no one and exposes Pakistan as a rogue state fueling global terrorism and destabilising the region. The world can no longer turn a blind eye. I have nothing further to add,” she said.

In a recent interview on Sky News, Asif said “Well, we have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades, you know, and West, including Britain” to a comment that he admits that Pakistan has had a long history of backing, supporting, training and funding these terrorist organisations.