Arshad Nadeem, a javelin thrower from Pakistan who won a gold medal at the Olympics, has had his Instagram account blocked in India because of a legal request. People in India trying to visit his page see a message saying, “Account not available in India” due to local laws.
This action happened after a terrible incident on April 22, when a terror attack in South Kashmir killed 26 people, mostly tourists. In response, the Indian government is restricting some Pakistani social media accounts that are popular in India.
Earlier this week, a number of Pakistani YouTube channels were also restricted for sharing “provocative and sensitive content” that goes against India and its Army. Some famous Pakistani cricketers, like Shoaib Akhtar, Basit Ali, and Shahid Afridi, had their channels blocked, but unlike Arshad, their Instagram accounts can still be accessed in India.
Some other Pakistani celebrities, like Mahira Khan and Ali Zafar, also found their Instagram accounts blocked. On the bright side, current Pakistani cricket stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan can still be followed on Instagram.
Arshad Nadeem made headlines after winning gold at the Paris Olympics, where he beat Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra. Neeraj had invited Arshad to compete in a javelin event in Bengaluru on May 24, but Arshad turned it down because he had other commitments.
After inviting Arshad, Neeraj faced a lot of negative comments online. He felt sad about the hate he received for simply inviting another athlete. Neeraj explained that his invitation was meant to promote sports friendship and bring top athletes to India. Unfortunately, after the recent attack, it was no longer appropriate for Arshad to attend.
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