IHC strikes down PTA’s ban on PUBG

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday set aside PTA’s decision to suspend online game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) and ordered the authorities to immediately lift the ban.

The regulatory had temporarily suspended the game on July 1 after receiving “several complaints” about the game being “addictive”, a waste of time and its potential negative impact on children’s physical and psychological health.

The ban was challenged by PUBG’s controlling company in Pakistan on July 4.

During the hearing, Justice Amir Farooq had remarked that the PTA should have consulted psychologists on the issue of potential psychological hazards of the game. He also wondered under which law the game was suspended.

The counsel for PTA argued that the game was suspended due to some in-game explicit scenes and anti-Islamic material.

Few hours before the IHC’s decision, PTA had announced that Players’ Unknown Battle Ground (PUBG) will remain blocked in Pakistan. PTA stated it reached the decision to keep the game banned after a detailed hearing conducted at the PTA premises on July 9 on the directions of the Lahore High Court.

The said the hearing was attended by other interested parties also.

The PTA also stated that it approached the PUBG management to share data about PUBG sessions and users in Pakistan and controls in place by the company. The response from PUBG is awaited, it said.