The Government of India on Monday issued a strong objection to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) over its coverage of the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people. In a news article titled “Pakistan suspends visas for Indians after deadly Kashmir attack,” the BBC referred to the incident as a “militant attack,” drawing sharp criticism from Indian authorities.
In a formal letter to the BBC, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) conveyed India’s strong disapproval, stating that the External Publicity and Public Diplomacy Division had communicated the nation’s concerns directly to Jackie Martin, BBC India Head. According to reports from India Today, the MEA also confirmed it would be closely monitoring the BBC’s reporting moving forward.
The BBC article, published last week, stated, “Pakistan has responded with tit-for-tat measures against India as tensions soared following a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists.” This choice of language has been widely criticized for downplaying the gravity of the incident.
The backlash against international media is not isolated. The Trump administration previously called out The New York Times for similarly describing the Pahalgam attackers as “militants” and “gunmen” rather than labeling them as “terrorists.”
The US House Foreign Affairs Committee also took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize the NYT, stating:
“Hey, @nytimes, we fixed it for you. This was a TERRORIST ATTACK, plain and simple. Whether it’s India or Israel, when it comes to TERRORISM, the NYT is removed from reality.”
Meanwhile, the Indian government has also moved to block 16 Pakistani YouTube channels. The channels were reportedly disseminating provocative, communally sensitive content and pushing false narratives against India, its army, and security agencies. Officials stated that the decision was made based on recommendations from the Union Home Ministry.
The blocked YouTube channels include: 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.
