Netflix, Amazon Prime, Zee 5 Take Down All Pakistani Shows And Content After Government Note
Earlier, shows like Zindagi Gulzar Hai and Humsafar were available on Netflix but have since been removed.
Following the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 and the subsequent Operation Sindoor by India targeting terror camps in Pakistan, the entertainment industry has been impacted amid rising tensions along the border, leading to a growing call for a Pakistani content ban.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) issued an advisory asking OTT platforms in India to stop hosting content that originates in Pakistan. This marks a major shift in IndiaтАЩs digital policy related to streaming platforms and Pakistani shows.
“In the interest of national security, all OTT platforms, media streaming platforms, and intermediaries operating in India are advised to discontinue the web-series, films, songs, podcasts and other streaming media content, whether made available on a subscription-based model or otherwise, having its origins in Pakistan with immediate effect,” the advisory stated, reinforcing the MIB advisory 2025 on the matter.
A quick search shows that major OTT platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, Zee5, and JioCinema currently do not host any Pakistani content. This aligns with the Pakistani content removal efforts underway.
Earlier, shows like Zindagi Gulzar Hai and HumsafarтАФtwo of the most popular Pakistani shows on Netflix IndiaтАФwere available but have since been removed. Zee Zindagi, known for streaming Pakistani originals, has also taken down such titles from its catalogue. The much-awaited show Barzakh, starring Fawad Khan and Sanam Saeed, has also been removed from ZEE5, signaling the widespread effect of the Pakistan-originated content ban.
A source close to the channel told India Today that the content was removed before any formal advisory was issued, as a precautionary measure to avoid controversy around the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions and the effects of Operation Sindoor on digital media.
Even before Operation Sindoor, YouTube had blocked Pakistani entertainment channels such as Hum TV and ARY Digital in India, indicating that the Pakistani media ban was already taking shape.
Sixteen other channels were also banned for allegedly spreading misinformation. However, Pakistani music content like Coke Studio Pakistan and songs by individual artists are still accessibleтАФthough their future remains uncertain under the evolving MIB regulations.
A trade source said the advisory came into effect only on Thursday evening and will take time to be fully enforced. “Also, it said that content which had its origins in Pakistan, but a lot of content by Pakistani artists has also been produced in India. So there is no clarity around the same. Coke Studio, being a global brand, is still in a gray area. As time passes, we will have better clarity,” they said, emphasizing ongoing ambiguity in the enforcement of the Pakistani streaming ban.
