Games can be a great way to stress bust. However, sometimes video games can be the cause of stress rather than helping decrease it. This has long been a topic of debate with many calling for moderation in video games. A recent incident in Pakistan does give strength to this argument. In a tragic incident, a teenager shot four members of his family in a rage. Pakistan police have since called for a ban on the game as they believe it gives rise to violent tendencies in players.
“This is not the first incident of its nature,” Investigator Imran Kishwar told reporters in the eastern city of Lahore, adding “so we have decided to recommend a ban”. As per the police, 18-year-old Kishwar Ali was addicted to the game and played for days on end. He reportedly got depressed after losing repeatedly in the game and was reprimanded by his mother for ‘excessive indulgence”. Dawn newspaper has quoted a police officer stating that the boy “fired at his family thinking that they will also come back to life, as happened in the game”.
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Is PUBG Banned In Pakistan?
The game has previously been banned in the country following complaints about the violent content. However, PUBG has not been banned in Pakistan yet. There has been a massive outcry after the incident though and a ban might be implemented on the game soon. Pakistan is not the only country that has banned the game in the past. It is also banned in India following data security breach concerns. The recent violent incident is not the first. A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court to ban the popular battle royale game in the country.
The petitioner’s counsel stated, “Inaction 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.”
Further, the counsel emphasized the effects of over-indulging in online gaming. “Known outcomes of playing PUBG are a strain on the eyes, frazzle, migraine, obesity, poor sleep, violence and more. Psychological health issues are there too, such as withdrawal (irritability, poor sleep, anger) depression, insomnia and even substance abuse as a result of compulsive disorder.”
Following the outrage, it seems likely that there would be some sort of action taken. While the game is not banned in Pakistan yet, PUBG might be reaching the end of its welcome in the country.