LAHORE:
A letter written to the Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) on Saturday sought a ban on the online game Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG).
The letter was written by SSP Liaqat Ali Malik on the instructions of CCPO Zulfiqar Hameed. He mentions that online video gaming has devastating effects on the mental health of young people and that two incidents of suicide have been reported in the city.
He said excessive violence triggers aggressive behavior among young people and makes them addicted to the game. The CCPO said the game should be banned and an awareness campaign should be launched.
A BA student committed suicide in Gulshan-e-Abbass Phase II a few days ago. The boy was found hanging in his room. Police also spotted a smartphone next to the body on which the PUBG gaming app was running.
His parents also confirmed to the police that they arrested the boy because he was playing this game. In another incident, a 20-year-old second year student at FC College University in Lahore also allegedly committed suicide after being scolded by his parents for playing PUBG. The victim identified as Jonty Joseph lived in North Cantonment. On the day of the incident, his father reportedly scolded him for playing PUBG for long.
He took the punishment so seriously that he locked himself in a room. The next day, when he did not open the door, the family broke it and found him hanging.
The victim also worked part-time to help the family financially, and after work, she remained busy gambling late into the night.
On May 18, a man approached the Lahore High Court to ban the video game. “Gaming has a negative impact on children. They are becoming more and more ruthless and violent,” the petitioner argued.
PUBG, developed by a South Korean company, is a 2017 survival game in which players are dropped off on an island to battle others. Multiplayer gameplay allows players from around the world to compete against each other or in teams.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th2020.