Government Unblocks News Website Amid Rising Tensions with Pakistan

Unblocking of The Wire's Website

On Saturday, a news outlet reported that its English website was restored by the Union government after a contentious article referencing CNN's coverage of claims from Pakistan was removed, coinciding with heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad.

Internet service providers indicated on Friday that the website was blocked following an order from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, citing the IT Act of 2000.

In response, the editors of the outlet reached out to both the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology for clarification regarding the blocking directive.

The ministry's communication, received at 9:41 PM on May 9, stated that the website was blocked due to a request related to the article in question.

It further explained that the blocking was necessary because, for HTTPS websites, only complete domains can be restricted, not individual sub-pages.

The outlet was advised to take necessary actions regarding the disputed content and to inform the ministry of the steps taken, which would facilitate the unblocking process.

In compliance with what they termed an 'unfair demand,' the outlet removed the article and notified the government at 10:40 PM.

The editors expressed astonishment that the government had not issued a prior notice for the article's removal before implementing the blocking order.

They emphasized that even under emergency powers, the initial step should involve a directive to the concerned party as per established regulations.

Labeling the government's actions as an 'unconstitutional assault on press freedom,' they pointed out that the CNN report and similar international media coverage remain accessible in India, unlike their own website.

Additionally, on Thursday, the Indian government blocked the social media accounts of several other news outlets, including Maktoob Media, The Kashmiriyat, Free Press Kashmir, and the U.S.-based Muslim account.

These actions were taken in response to legal requests from the Indian government, as reported by social media platforms X and Instagram.

While the accounts of Maktoob Media, Free Press Kashmir, and The Kashmiriyat were blocked on X, the Muslim account was restricted on Instagram. Nevertheless, the websites of all four news outlets remain accessible in India.

This series of events unfolded against the backdrop of escalating tensions and cross-border incidents between India and Pakistan following a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22.