Nepal bans internet game PUBG

The popular multiplayer internet game PUBG has been banned in Nepal following a court order which said that it was having a negative effect on the behaviour of children and youth, according to a media report.

The Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA) on Thursday directed all the internet and mobile service providers to ban PlayerUnknown's Battleground, commonly known PUBG, the Kathmandu Post reported on Thursday.

According to police, those found playing the game after the ban will face arrest.

The Kathmandu District Court gave the permission to ban PUBG on a petition filed by the metropolitan crime division citing negative behavioural affect in children, the report said.

After the court permission, the division then sent a letter to the NTA requesting it to ban the game.

Based on a letter from the crime division, we have ordered all internet and mobile service providers to ban the game, Purushottam Khanal, acting NTA chairman, was quoted as saying.

PUBG is a game in which a maximum of 100 players drop on an island and fight to be the last one left standing. The players have to search for arms and other equipment after landing on the island and compete to win the game.

Players can team with their friends and create crews that they can venture onto the island with. Cooperative play also sees players healing fallen comrades, strategising in teams and holding positions for better defensive play. Players can chat with each other and on mobile phones.

We received a number of complaints from parents, schools and school associations regarding the effect of the game on children, Senior Superintendent of Police Dhiraj Pratap Singh, chief of the Metropolitan Crime Division, said.

Singh said that they also held discussions with psychiatrists before requesting the court for permission to ban the game.

There have been many shocking incidents due to the game in other countries. We have decided to ban the game before anything unfortunate occurs in Nepal, Singh said.