ISLAMABAD: Police in Pakistan’s largest province of Punjab have requested the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to impose a “complete ban” on the popular application PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) after the recent quadruple murder of a family by a teenager in Lahore was tied to the online game.
Teenager Ali Zain is accused of shooting dead his mother, two sisters and a brother on January 19. Police say he told investigators during questioning the game had driven him to violence. Zain was also quoted by investigators as saying he was depressed from losing constantly and fired shots under stress “thinking that everyone will come back to life like in the game.”
“The quadruple murder of a family in Lahore on 19.01.2022 cannot be conveniently adjudged as a plain-text crime,” the Central Police Office Punjab wrote in a letter to the provincial government this week.
“This violent crime is linked with isolationist tendencies associated with the addiction of the multiplayer online game name PUBG,” the letter said, adding: “Failure in PUBG duels online prompted a teenager to perpetrate the appalling four murders in the area of Kahna in Lahore, preying upon his own mother and siblings.”
Police therefore requested the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority “to impose complete ban on violent games like PUBG.”
“It is evident that obsessive indulgence of youth in online violent games like PUBG and Fortnite is introducing into young minds of the players a sense of comfort with violence leading to criminal tendencies,” police said.
Pakistan banned PUBG in July 2020 after the country’s telecom regulator said it had received numerous complaints the game affects the “physical and mental health” of players.
“The game is highly addictive, destroying the youth, a wastage of time and has a negative impact on physical and psychological health,” the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) said at the time.
However, the ban was lifted the same month on the orders of the Islamabad High Court.
Police in Punjab seek ‘complete ban’ on PUBG game after quadruple murder in Lahore
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Police in Punjab seek ‘complete ban’ on PUBG game after quadruple murder in Lahore
- Police say teenager claims he shot mother, brother and two sisters thinking “everyone will come back to life like in the game”
- Pakistan banned PUBG in July 2020 saying the game “affects physical and mental health” of players, ban lifted same month
Pakistan stocks recover as oil supply fears ease after Islamabad seeks Red Sea route— analyst
- Pakistan has sought Saudi help to secure oil supplies via Red Sea port after Iran’s closure of Strait if Hormuz
- Analyst says higher crude oil prices, expectations of IMF releasing next loan tranche also triggered bullish activity
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani stocks marked a sharp recovery when trading closed on Thursday, as institutional activity increased following Islamabad’s move to seek crude oil supplies through the Red Sea port eased oil supply fears, a financial analyst said.
Pakistani stocks have recorded a sharp decline this week, with the benchmark KSE-100 index recording its largest-ever single-day decline on Monday when it plunged 16,089 points. Escalating conflict in the Middle East triggered panic selling at the Pakistani bourse, forcing a temporary trading halt on Monday.
The KSE-100 index, however, gained 3.49 percent or 5,433.46 points to close at 161,210.67 when trading ended on Thursday, up from the previous close of 155,777.21 points, according to Pakistan Stock Exchange’s (PSX) data.
Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik met Saudi Ambassador Nawaf bin Said Al-Malki on Wednesday to discuss Iran’s closure of the key Strait of Hormuz, which has threatened Pakistan’s energy supply. Roughly 20 percent of the global oil and gas supply passes through the route. Saudi Arabia indicated it could facilitate shipments through the Red Sea port of Yanbu, offering an alternative route if Gulf shipping lanes remain disrupted, the petroleum ministry said on Wednesday.
“Stocks staged a sharp recovery at PSX amid institutional activity on easing fuel supply fears after KSA [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia] commits oil supplies through the Red Sea port,” Ahsan Mehanti, chief executive officer at Arif Habib Commodities, told Arab News.
He said higher global crude oil prices and expectations of the International Monetary Fund releasing its next tranche of the $7 billion loan for Pakistan also helped bullish activity at the PSX.
An IMF mission was in Pakistan to hold talks on the third review of a $7 billion Extended Fund Facility multi-year program, and for the second review of the $1.4 billion Resilience and Sustainability Facility this week.
However, the delegation left for Türkiye amid tensions in the Gulf. Pakistani officials have said talks are likely to continue virtually in the coming days.
Pakistani brokerage Topline Securities said in its daily market review report that strong institutional buying “turned the tide” on Thursday after the market’s recent overreaction to regional issues.
The report added that Hub Power Company (HUBC), Oil & Gas Development Company (OGDC), Fauji Fertilizer Company (FFC), Engro Corporation (ENGROH), and Meezan Bank Limited (MEBL) collectively contributed 2,197 points to the KSE benchmark’s gain.
Topline Securities said 723 million shares were traded on Thursday, with K-Electric Limited (KEL) stealing the spotlight as more than 1.17 billion shares changed hands.
Pakistani investors are closely monitoring developments in the Gulf, particularly around energy routes and further retaliatory actions, as the conflict’s trajectory remains uncertain.
