Waqar Zaka challenges PUBG ban in Sindh High Court

KARACHI: Pakistan TV host Waqar Zaka has challenged the PlayerUnknown’s Battleground or PUBG ban in Pakistan at the Sindh High Court calling the decision unjust and a violation of fundamental rights.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) placed a ban on PUBG on the directives of the Lahore High Court on 1 July 2020 after two cases of suicide that were linked to the game.

Read more: PTA temporarily bans PUBG in Pakistan.

Although, this isn’t a final decision as stated in their notification and can be changed. However, Waqar Zaka is filing his own petition in the Sindh High Court against the ban and disagrees with the game being blamed for the suicide incidents.

He argues his that the claim regarding PUBG that the “game is addictive, wastage of time, and poses various negative impacts on the physical and psychological health of the children” is completely untrue and based on “wrong and faulty reasoning and lack of judgement”.

He argues in his petition that the main reason behind suicide is depression which is the result of societal pressure as well as solitude but linking a multiplayer game like PUBG where a player gets to “communicate and feel” along with others while sitting alone is unjustifiable by any means.

He makes the point regarding suicide by teens on obtaining bad grades after immense pressure from parents and institutions but we don’t see them getting closed since it is not the answer or the solution.

Furthermore, Waqar Zaka in his petition mentions that a PUBG ban in Pakistan will have a negative impact on the ESports community in Pakistan which is expanding and providing youth an actual platform where they can enter competitions and actually make a career out of gaming.

Companies invest large amounts of money into these ESports competition sponsor players and such a ban will just take that investment away as there will be no guarantee for these investors that Pakistan won’t ban other games in the future.

Waqar Zaka argues that just like YouTube never set up an office in Pakistan, other companies related to ESports will never do so after the PUBG ban in Pakistan on fear of loosing their investment.

Read more: Social media reacts to PUBG ban in Pakistan.

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