In another sad case of video game violence crossing over to real life, a PUBG ban is now being pushed by Pakistani police after the grisly massacre of four family members by a teenager. The teenaged suspect confessed to killing his family members after a fit of rage playing PUBG for days straight. Before reading on, please be warned of explicit content due to the graphic nature of the murders.
The suspect, named Ali Zain, aged 18, shot his mother, two sisters, and his brother on January 18. After police questioning, the suspect claimed that the game had driven him to violence. In a statement to reporters in the eastern city of Lahore, police investigator Imran Kishwar had this to say:
“This is not the first incident of its nature, so we have decided to recommend a ban”.
This is not the first case of a PUBG ban in Pakistan. In 2020, a ban on the game was lifted after its prohibition by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). The PTA raised concerns over immoral content on the platform.
The authority had refused to unblock the game at first, insisting that it is “highly addictive” and a “wastage of time”. However, cases like this, while an outlier, prove to make its point every once in a while. Here’s hoping that those affected can find peace after this case of senseless violence.
Source: ABS-CBN
America has it’s problems, but I am thankful every day I don’t live in dumps like Pakistan, Iran, and China where other people think they have the right to tell me what I can and can’t do in my own time. Anyone that thinks violence comes from videogames is demonstrably wrong. Maybe it’s a society that follows fairy tales that oppress women and stifle free thought that’s the problem and not a silly game.