The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Thursday urged all over-the-top and streaming platforms in India to pull down any web series, films, songs, podcasts and other content originating from Pakistan with immediate effect, “in the interest of national security” after the Pahalgam terror attack.

“Several terrorist attacks in India have been established to have cross-border linkages with Pakistan-based state and non-state actors,” the directive read before specifically mentioning the April 22 attack.

The circular cited the 2021 Information Technology Rules, which outlines a code of ethics for OTT content publishers.

According to the code, publishers must assess whether content impacts India’s “sovereignty and integrity”, threatens national security, harms foreign relations, or could “incite violence” or “disturb maintenance public order” before releasing it.

“We have received the request and are working to comply in accordance with the law,” a spokesperson of music-streaming platform Spotify told The Hindu.

Social media accounts of various Pakistani politicians, actors and cricketers have already been banned in India, including those of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, former Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto and singer Abida Parveen.

On April 28, the Union government also banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, accusing them of spreading misinformation and content that could incite communal tension. The banned platforms included major news outlets such as Dawn News, Samaa TV and Geo News.

On Wednesday, the Indian military carried out strikes on what it claimed were terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Nine sites were targeted under Operation Sindoor.

The Pakistan Army retaliated by shelling Indian villages along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. Sixteen persons were killed in the firing, according to the Ministry of Defence.

The terror attack at the Baisaran area near Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam town on April 22 left 26 dead and 17 injured. The terrorists targeted tourists after asking their names to ascertain their religion, the police said. All but three of those killed were Hindu.