In a latest crackdown against political leaders of Pakistan, India withheld the ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter) accounts of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the country’s former Finance Minister Bilawal Bhutto.
A message on X read, “The account of @ImranKhanPTI has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand.” A similar message displayed on Bilawal Bhutto’s X handle.
The move came days after Bhutto-Zardari reportedly warned India over the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and said, “The Indus is ours and will remain ours – either our water will flow through it, or their blood.”
Imran Khan had also warned, saying that “Pakistan has got all the capabilities to give a befitting response to any Indian misadventure.”
Before this, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s X account was “withheld” in India last week after the minister issued a series of controversial comments in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack.
The account of ‘Government of Pakistan’ on X was also withheld in India on April 24. A message appearing on the handle’s X account read, “Account Withheld @GovtofPakistan has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand.”
The Indian government’s latest crackdown came in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, had claimed responsibility for the terror attack, news agency PTI reported earlier.
India has accused neighbouring Pakistan of harbouring and supporting terrorists. Following the attack, India took strong countermeasures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.
A day after the terror attack, India announced a series of steps to give a strong message to Pakistan for its support to cross-border terrorism, stating that the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance and the integrated checkpost at Attari will be closed with immediate effect.
Recently, India imposed a ban on the import of goods coming from or transiting through Pakistan and also the entry of Pakistani ships into its ports even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country is committed to taking “firm and decisive” action against terrorists and their backers.
In retaliation, Pakistan ordered that any Indian flag carriers will not be allowed to visit any Pakistani port and also barred Pakistani ships from docking at any Indian port.
