- Pakistan issues a temporary ban on PUBG MOBILE
- The hearing for the case is on July 9.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has issued a formal notice with their decision to temporarily suspend PUBG. While there is no specification of the PC or the mobile version in the official document, the mobile version is most likely the one in question. The official reason that the PTA has provided is that they have received several complaints “wherein it is stated that the game is addictive, wastage of time and poses serious negative impact on physical and psychological health of children.”
Image via Twitter
The official statement also makes note of cases of suicide which have been attributed to the game. For now, the ban is temporary, but a hearing for the same is scheduled on July 9. The PTA has also opened up suggestions from the public and have provided a contact for members of the public to send in their views. Other South Asian countries such as India have also toyed with the idea of banning the game, and in fact, PUBG has been banned in certain states in the past. More recently, ongoing tensions between India and China saw India banning 59 Chinese apps, including Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Clash of Kings.
This is certainly a uncertain time for Pakistan’s esports scene as well, as their region is part of the World League. FreeStyle, who won PMCO Pakistan are supposed to be participating in the World League, along with other regional winners. With the World League kicking off on July 10, it is uncertain whether the team will be able to to participate in the competition.
