Court directs PTA to 'immediately' lift PUBG ban

Decision comes in the wake of PTA's announcement last night that it would maintain its ban

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court directed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority to lift the ban on online game PUBG on Friday, quashing the PTA's ban.

Justice Amir Farooq announced the reserved verdict on a petition challenging PTA's ban on the game, filed by the company that controls PUBG in Pakistan.

The court directed the authority to lift the ban 'immediately'.

The PTA had banned PUBG citing objectionable content, youth suicides and citizen complaints as reasons. The PTA's decision was challenged in courts, and last week, the IHC had reserved the verdict on the controlling company's petition.

IHC's decision today came in the wake of PTA's announcement last night that it would maintain its ban and the game would remain blocked in Pakistan. It stated that the authority's decision was based on directions of the Lahore High Court.

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

The PTA also stated that it has "approached PUBG management to share data about PUBG sessions and users in Pakistan and controls in place by the company," and is awaiting response.

Other interested parties also attended the hearing. PTA has approached PUBG management to share data about PUBG sessions and users in Pakistan and controls in place by the company. However, response from PUBG is awaited.

— PTA (@PTAofficialpk) July 23, 2020

The IHC had, on July 14, reserved its verdict on the petition after completion of arguments by parties.

The PTA had objected to the petition filed by PUBG's controlling company in Pakistan.

"Under which law did you ban the game," Justice Farooq had inquired of the PTA.

PTA's lawyer contended that the game appears to contain anti-Islamic and immoral material which led to the ban. The court asked where in the minutes of the meeting was such material mentioned.

The court asked PTA if it would shut down everything if the CPO were to ask it to. "Which complaint mentioned that the game is against Islamic teachings," the court asked.