When Hania Aamir vanished from Instagram timelines across India this week, fans were left staring at a familiar notice: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content." It wasn’t just her. Pakistani stars Mahira Khan, Ali Zafar, Sanam Saeed and others were swept into the same action—part of a broader clampdown on cross-border content after the recent terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.

While Instagram has restricted access to these accounts, they remain visible on X—suggesting some variation in how platforms respond to government directives.

Meanwhile, Fawad Khan—forever the unintentional litmus test for India-Pakistan cultural ties—finds himself in familiar territory. His upcoming film Abhi Gulal is slated for release on May 9, but the timing is uncanny. The last time he tried to build a career in Bollywood, the Uri attack brought everything to a halt. This time, it’s Pahalgam. His Instagram, oddly enough, remains untouched—perhaps the only thing in his cross-border journey that hasn’t faced resistance.

There’s a pattern here—and it’s not just bad luck.

Each........

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