Is Ban On Pakistani Actors’ Social Media Handles Lifted? Mawra Hocane’s Instagram NOW Visible In India

After a post-Pahalgam attack digital crackdown, Mawra Hocane’s Instagram is now visible to Indian users after nearly two months. While a few other Pakistani stars are unblocked, many remain restricted, sparking questions about a possible phased policy reversal.

Published by Ashish Kumar Singh
Last updated: July 1, 2025 21:52:29 IST

After the terror attack in Pahalgam back in April, where more than two dozen lives were lost, the Indian government wasted no time tightening digital controls.

They started by blocking access to the social media profiles of several Pakistani public figures. Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane was among those affected—her Instagram page was off-limits to Indian users for almost two months.

Mawra Hocane’s Instagram is accessible again in India

Now, in a move that’s caught a lot of people off guard, Mawra Hocane’s Instagram is accessible again in India. She’s one of the first major Pakistani celebrities to have her account restored after the wave of bans. Mawra, who shot to fame in India thanks to her role in the 2016 film Sanam Teri Kasam, seems to be back on screens for her Indian fans.

But don’t mistake this for a sweeping policy change. This isn’t a full reversal. Only a handful of other Pakistani actors—Yumna Zaidi, Danish Taimoor, Ahad Raza Mir—are visible again to Indian users.

Plenty of big names are still blocked. Their profiles continue to display that familiar message: “Account not available in India. This is due to a court order restricting this content.”

A post shared by MAWRA (@mawrellous)

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Stars like Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan, Wahaj Ali, Iqra Aziz, and Farhan Saeed are still affected. If you try to view their pages from India, you’ll hit the same digital wall, which makes it pretty clear that whatever’s happening is selective, not a blanket rollback.

Naturally, people are trying to figure out what’s going on. Is this just a glitch, a one-off exception, or the start of a slow, deliberate change? So far, there’s been radio silence from both Meta and the Indian government. No statements, no explanations—just speculation.

It’s worth mentioning that the original restrictions went far beyond Instagram. Pakistani YouTube channels and even the official account of Pakistan’s prime minister were blocked after the Pahalgam attack. The move came during a period of high tension, aimed at clamping down on Pakistani content in India.

At this point, the situation remains murky. Some fans can now reconnect with their favourite stars, but many others are still left waiting—wondering if and when the rest of the accounts will ever be unblocked.

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