Pakistan Bans PUBG citing ‘Anti-Islamic-‘ elements in the game
After the Indian Government’s banned 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, WeChat, UC Browser, and Mi Community over national security concerns, Pakistan has banned the widely popular game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG).
This is not the first time that Pakistan has banned a video game. In 2013, war-themed games Call of Duty and Medal of Honor were removed from store shelves for showing Pakistan as a safe haven for terrorists.
According to the shop owners, these games showed Pakistani intelligence agencies as supporting al-Qaeda and other jihadi organisations. Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni was banned because of its sexual content and glorification of gay romance in 2017.
“PTA has received numerous complaints against PUBG wherein it is stated that the game is addictive, wastage of time and poses serious negative impact on physical and psychological health of the children,” said Pakistan Telecommunication Authority in a press release shared on Twitter.
The Islamabad High Court, which is hearing a petition challenging the ban, was told by the PTA that PUBG contained some “explicit scenes” and “anti-Islam material”. The same charge could apply to TikTok, which is facing a ban petition of its own.
The festival of Basant, in which people fly kites, continues to be banned in Pakistan since 2005, when the Supreme Court, in a bid to prevent loss of lives from the chemical-laced strings, gave the order. The Punjab government had announced it was lifting the ban in 2019 but it withdrew its decision even before it could come into effect.
PUBG for PC and Xbox and PUBG Mobile have been banned in the country effective immediately. PUBG Pakistan has not released a statement on the development.
