Pakistan court reserves verdict on plea against PUBG ban

ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday reserved its judgment on a petition challenging ban on PUBG game in the country by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

Justice Aamer Farooq, hearing the case, remarked that the PTA should have taken the advise from psychiatric before banning the game. The court asked the PTA's lawyer that under what section of the law the department had imposed ban on PUBG.

The PTA's lawyer adopted the stance that the game had been banned after the department had witnessed some anti-Islam material on it, to this Justice Farooq asked where it was mentioned in meeting minutes of PTA. Every game and material could be banned on the same pretext, the court noted.

The court observed that the PTA had to apply its own mind and mention the reason whatever the action it took. The PTA lawyer pleaded that there were some unethical scenes as well in the game, adding that it was banned on several complaints.

The bench asked the lawyer to mention any complaint which alleged the game having anti-Islamic material. The court said that the PTA should have taken decision as per law.

Lawyer of PUBG Company stated they his client company had attended the PTA meeting dated July 9, regarding the matter. The PTA told us about hearing but it was conducting consultation meeting, he said.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the court reserved its judgment on the case filed by PUBG company.