The Pakistani government on Wednesday banned popular online game PUBG after receiving several complaints about the game’s “serious negative impact on physical and psychological health of the children”. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said that it has blocked internet access to the game.
The ban, however, is temporary and a Pakistani court will hear a petition regarding this on July 9. PUBG has been banned by several countries including Iraq, Jordan, Nepal. The game is also banned in the Indian state of Gujarat and Indonesian province of Aceh.
The ban was also imposed upon PUBG after certain media reports attributed the game for the cause of suicide in the country.
“Honorable Lahore High court has also directed PTA to look into the issue and decide the matter after hearing the complainants. In this regard, a hearing is being conducted on 9th of July 2020,” PTA said in a statement shared by news agency ANI.
On July 24, a 16-year-old boy had died by suicide in Pakistan’s Hanjarwal area by hanging himself from a ceiling fan of his house when he “missed his mission” in PUBG, dawn.com reported. The police also confirmed that the boy named Mohammad Zakarya took the extreme step for not completing his task while playing the battle royal game.
PUBG Mobile has been associated with several cases of suicide in India as well. The developers, then, had issued a statement acknowledging the concerns raised against the addictive behaviour of players.
