The Instagram ban on popular Pakistani actress Mawra Hocane has been lifted in India, nearly two months after her account became inaccessible to Indian users. The ban, which came in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack in April, had affected several Pakistani actors and celebrities. However, the accounts of several other Pakistani celebs like Hania Aamir, Atif Aslam, Mahira Khan, Fawad Khan are still not accessible.
Netizens are able to see Mawra's Instagram posts in India
Mawra, who gained popularity in India for her role in the 2016 Bollywood film Sanam Teri Kasam, had her account restricted with a message that read, "Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content." The restriction followed India's response to the terror incident, during which the Instagram accounts of multiple Pakistani public figures were rendered inaccessible to Indian users.
Mawra had further courted controversy during this period by calling India’s 'Operation Sindoor', a counter-terrorism operation in Kashmir, "cowardly" on social media, which intensified the backlash.
Screenshots of Mawra's posts surface
On Tuesday (July 1), several Reddit users have shared screenshots showing that Mawra's Instagram profile is once again accessible in India. The unblocking comes without any official announcement or clarification from Indian authorities or Meta (Instagram’s parent company) regarding whether restrictions on other Pakistani celebrities have also been lifted.
Interestingly, just hours before the account became accessible again, the actress shared a fan-made reel on her Instagram story. The reel featured her looks from Sanam Teri Kasam.
However, she did not write anything along with the video.
Several Indian celebrities, including Taapsee Pannu, Neetu Kapoor, Mouni Roy, Manish Malhotra, Khushboo Patani, and others, follow Mawra's account.
When Harshvardhan slammed Mawra
In May, Bollywood actor Harshvardhan Rane had also 'respectfully declined' to be a part of Sanam Teri Kasam 2 amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. His decision was in response to the actress' 'derogatory' comments against India following Operation Sindoor, conducted on May 7, which targeted nine terror camps within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Taking to his Instagram story, he wrote back then, "While I am grateful for the experience however as things stand, and after reading the direct comments made about my country, I have made a decision to respectfully decline to be a part of Sanam Teri Kasam part 2 if there is any possibility of the previous cast being repeated."
In another story, Harshvardhan shared Mawra's reaction to Operation Sindoor, in which she described the attack as 'cowardly.' In response, the actor reacted strongly, stating that he will not allow anyone to walk over his pride and upbringing.
What Mawra Hocane said
On May 7, Mawra took to her X (formerly known as Twitter) account and wrote, "Strongly condemn India’s cowardly attack on Pakistan.. Innocent civilians have lost their lives.. May Allah protect us all.. may sense prevail.. Ya Allah ho Ya Hafizo..#PakistanZindabad."
