A writ petition has been submitted in the Lahore High Court seeking a ban on the popular videogame PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). The petition links violent incidents in Punjab, especially the recent killing of a family in Kahna Nau, with PUBG.
Earlier, police in the province took into custody an 18-year-old “PUBG addict” after he allegedly shot dead his mother, sister and brother in their sleep. Police claimed the teenager committed the violent act after he got “depressed” by repeatedly losing in the competitive videogame and being scolded by his mother for “excessive indulgence”.
The petitioner’s counsel, Nadeem Sarwar, contended that the World Health Organization in 2018 had declared gaming addiction as a mental health disorder as it ‘increased depression and anxiety levels’. He implored that in Pakistan, the videogame was responsible for violent incidents due to its “adverse impact”.
The counsel further implored that the video had become a “serious life and health threat to users” and caused hardships to the family members of the players and that it would “ruin the younger generation” if an early ban was not imposed.
“In action upon the part of state functionaries to ban PUBG despite happening of horrible incidents of killing is violative of Article 9 (right to life), 37 and 38-D of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973, hence a ban needs to be imposed upon this game at the earliest without further delay to protect the lives of the young generation,” the petitioner contended.
