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In yet another plot twist in the long-running soap opera that is Indo-Pak digital relations, several Pakistani celebrities found out that their Instagram accounts have been blocked in India.

The move, which came shortly after the April 22 attack in Pahalgam of India-held Kashmir (for which India blamed Pakistan, and Pakistan denied involvement), appears to be part of a broader crackdown on Pakistani content — and our celebs are not keeping quiet about it.

When Indian users try to access these accounts, they get hit with: “Your user is unavailable in India… Because of a legal request, we have to restrict access to your user.”

Naturally, screenshots began circulating faster than the speed of light, particularly of Hania Aamir’s blocked Instagram, and Pakistani celebrities had some thoughts.

Actor Mansha Pasha shared the notice in her story and said what we were all thinking: “Well, that took like a millisecond. Oh, well!”

Actor Ushna Shah blamed it on all the Pak-India memes she couldn’t resist sharing.

Ali Gul Pir, never one to miss a chance for a punchline, told his Indian fans: “Sorry to Indian followers. Use a VPN if needed. I still love you.”

Meanwhile, Arslan Naseer gave us meme gold, addressing PM Modi directly: “Modi bro you banned me in India? What’s next? Will you complain to my Ammi?”

He didn’t stop there. In a follow-up story, he mock-blamed Fawad Khan for the situation: “Fawad bro, you did one Indian film, a problem arose on the border, and somehow I got banned. No offence, but you’re like that squirrel from Ice Age.” We do feel for our very own Khan though.

Actor Zhalay Sarhadi, on the other hand, wasn’t having it. “By banning, what are you trying to prove!? Are you scared or something? One shouldn’t express their vulnerability so openly. It’s quite a desperate move, in my opinion. Also, have you heard of VPN? It’s a useful app!”

Then came Yasir Hussain, serving wisdom with a side of sarcasm, “The way Pakistanis responded to India’s anger with memes, they should also respond to the bans with complete indifference. You don’t argue with embarrassed cats. You ignore them. Pakistanis should act gracefully.”

But here’s where it gets interesting — not all Pakistani celebrity accounts have been banned in India. According to the Hindustan Times, several big names have somehow escaped the digital axe — for now.

Still visible to Indian fans are Fawad Khan (yes, Ice Age squirrel lives on!), Mawra Hocane (Sanam Teri Kasam — enough said), Atif Aslam (because who can ever block ‘Tera Hone Laga Hoon’, really?), and finally, the ‘Pasoori’ hit duo Ali Sethi and Shae Gill.

In contrast, accounts of Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, and Ali Zafar have been made inaccessible.

The crackdown isn’t limited to celebs. The social media pages of popular entertainment channels like HUM TV, ARY Digital, and Geo Entertainment are now also blocked in India. If people in India try opening them they’re met with: “This content is currently unavailable in this country because of an order from the government related to national security or public order.”

Earlier this month, 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including those of major news outlets including Dawn, and even cricketer Shoaib Akhtar were officially banned by our neighbours. The official X account of the Pakistani government? Also blocked in India.

One particularly unfortunate casualty was comedian Shehzad Ghias, whose podcast The Pakistan Experience is now also part of the forbidden list.

While the Indian government hasn’t issued a formal announcement with regards to entertainment channels and celebrity accounts being blocked, it seems like the unofficial message is clear: block now, explain never.

Still, with VPNs, fan loyalty, and a solid sense of humour, Pakistani celebs don’t seem too rattled.