Afghanistan to ban popular PUBG war game 

Afghanistan Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ATRA) said Thursday that government will temporarily ban the popular mobile game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) in Afghanistan.

ATRA stated that the decision was made on Wednesday after complaints were received from the Transport and Telecommunications Commission of the Lower House of the Parliament (Wolesi Jirga).

“To address the concerns and find an appropriate solution, ATRA held consultative meetings with the Ministry of Hajj and Religious Affairs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Health, psychologists, parents, school principals, cybersecurity specialists, children’s educational institutions, telecommunications- and information technology companies and associations, PUBG players, lawyers, economists, members of the Wolesi Jirga, and civil society,” the statement read.

ATRA Chairman, Omer Mansur Ansari stated: “After a comprehensive analysis, our team presented the issue to the board of ATRA; where it was decided to temporarily ban the game due to social and security considerations.”

Ansari added that discussions are underway to find a permanent solution for the issue.

He directed ATRA officials to prepare and finalize specific policies and procedures related to the regulation for the markets and the gaming industry in the country.

Ansari also directed the organization to detect all games that negatively affect children, the statement added.

PUBG, developed by Chinese technology giant Tencent, has thousands of active users in Afghanistan.