Pakistani YouTubers who were banned in India in the aftermath of the Pahalgam Terror Attack have started new YouTube channels to regain their Indian audience. The YouTubers who have opened new channels include Wasay Habib, Iffi Raza, Syed Muzammil Shah and Furqan Bhatti.
The Pakistani YouTubers have gained hundreds of thousands of views after opening new channels. They have also adopted new strategies such as designating the location of their channel as the United States. Furqan Bhatti, who has become a meme on the internet following his antics during the Asia Cup, has a new channel called “FB – Furqan Bahtti Army”.
While one Sana Meher claims to be the owner of the new Furqan Bhatti channel, it is likely that the channel is managed by Bhatti himself. Bhatti would have slapped the channel with a copyright strike for posting his content as is and monetising it if he was not associated with it himself. It is unlikely that anyone would willingly allow someone else to earn money out of his content out of good will.
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Similarly, Wasay Habib has opened a new channel called “Cricket Craze with Wasay Habib”. Earlier, he and Iffi Raza used to appear on the YouTube channel banned by India. However, Iffi Raza went viral on Indian social media following his anti-India comments. The channel was subsequently banned. Since then, Wasay Habib appears to have parted ways with Iffi Raza.
On his new YouTube channel, Wasay Habib mocks the Pakistan Cricket Team, which earned him an Indian audience in the first place. He engages in clownish behaviour to endear himself to Indians. He, too, has his location set to United States.
Iffi Raza, on the other hand, rants viciously against India. Now, instead of Wasay Habib, a woman appears on his YouTube channel. The original Wasay Habib channel had suffered a huge decline in viewership following the ban. The audience for their Live Videos had collapsed by as much as 90%.
Another person who has opened a new channel is Pakistani journalist Syed Muzammil Shah. Shah fancies himself as a Pakistani liberal. To be fair to him, he often questions the Pakistani national security establishment. While he does spread propaganda against the Indian Government and Hindutva, his main focus is usually the Pakistani establishment.
In December 2024, armed gunmen attacked his home. Fortunately, he was not present at home at the time. However, his family was present. The armed gunmen had attacked him over his political opinions. Syed Muzammil Shah has often criticised the religious extremism in Pakistani society. He has also blamed the Islamisation of the Pakistan Cricket Team for its decline.
Apart from these channels, various other Pakistani YouTubers have also adopted a similar tactic to bypass the ban in India.
