On July 1, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) decided to temporarily suspend PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), stating that it had received several complaints pertaining to the "addictive" nature of the game, which it stated was a waste of time and posed "serious negative impact on the physical and psychological health of the children." Today, the Islamabad High Court revoked the suspension and directed the regulating authority to "immediately" remove the ban.
This decision comes after PTA's press release yesterday, which said that PUBG's suspension would continue throughout the country, adding that it had approached the firm to "share data about PUBG sessions and users in Pakistan and controls in place," and is awaiting a response.
Press Release: PTA has decided that online game Players' Unknown Battle Ground (PUBG) remains blocked. The decision has been made by the Authority after a detailed hearing conducted in PTA on July 9 on the directions of the Lahore High Court.
— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) July 23, 2020
Fawad Chaudhry, Pakistan's Minister for Science and Technology, tweeted his resentment of the ban and stated that such decisions hamper the growth of the tech industry in Pakistan. Besides the popular Battle Royale game, PTA has also banned Bigo Live and issued a final warning to TikTok over "immoral content" posted on the short-form video app.
Source: Dawn
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