Bhatti is accused of running a terror recruitment ring through social media. Indian agencies arrested more than 250 people from 14 states over their alleged links to Pakistan’s gangster-turned-terror-handler Shahzad Bhatti in a single day on August 12, according to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“I thank all my editor brothers who download, edit and repost my videos.
Thank you for considering me your elder brother, promoting me, and even fighting for me,” he said in a video message. “If you want to connect with me, send me a direct message,” he said.
But for Bhatti, it is a cat-and-mouse game. He counters the crackdown by creating new accounts and actively coordinating with supporters to sustain and boost his online presence, an analysis of videos from his network suggests. He often holds group video calls with these young video editors. The use of these accounts suggests a clear pattern: they are meant to communicate with people in India, not Pakistan.
For instance, he stopped posting content on three Instagram pages with a cumulative following of nearly 3.5 lakh followers in mid-2025 after the Government banned the accounts in India.
As per media reports, the Government of India has blocked several accounts bearing “333” in their usernames.
