The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) decided on Wednesday to temporarily suspend PlayerUnknown"s Battlegrounds, stating that it had received numerous complaints about the "addictive" nature of the game, and its potential negative impact on children"s physical and psychological health.
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. pic.twitter.com/GDJqTeuTaf
— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) July 1, 2020
As per media reports, several cases of suicide linked to the game were reported in recent weeks. The Lahore High Court directed PTA to investigate and decide the matter after hearing the complaints. A formal hearing will be conducted on July 9, and PTA is urging the public to provide their feedback before then by emailing them.
Last month, a senior police official recommended a ban on the online game in an attempt to save lives. Pakistan wouldn"t be the first country in the region to ban the game, as Nepal also banned PlayerUnknown"s Battlegrounds last year, though the ban has since been lifted.
PTA did not state whether the ban is aimed at both the standard and mobile variants of PlayerUnknown"s Battlegrounds. The latter is quite popular since it is free-to-play, and runs smoothly on mid-priced smartphones.