LAHORE – Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Thursday to decide whether to extend or remove the ban on online game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG).
The online game was temporarily suspended on July 1, 2020. PTA, In a statement, said it had received several complaints about the game being addictive and its potential negative impact on children’s physical and psychological health.
Press Release: In view of complaints received from different segments of society, PTA has decided to temporarily suspend the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) game. pic.twitter.com/ZUea4G277k
— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) July 1, 2020
According to media reports, cases of suicide attributed to PUBG game have been reported. 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 (@PTAofficialpk) July 1, 2020
The Authority also decided to solicit views of the public with reference to the said online game. In this regard public is encouraged to provide feedback through consultation-pubg@pta.gov.pk by July 10, 2020.
— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) July 1, 2020
In June, a teenage boy in Lahore’s Hanjarwal committed suicide after his parents stopped him from playing the game.
Similarly, in another case, a 20-year-old boy took his own life in Saddar Bazaar neighborhood in North Cantonment.
PUBG is a survival game in which players are dropped onto an island to battle it out against others. Players from all over the world compete against each other or in teams. They attack and kill each other in the game and the more you win, the higher you rank. It has garnered 34.2 million downloads worldwide so far.
