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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.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, has announced the release of another American citizen in the country.
Khalilzad said in a post on his X account that, according to information from the Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Faye Dai Hall, an American citizen who has been in custody in Afghanistan, will be released soon.
Earlier, George Glezmann, an American citizen whom the Islamic Emirate had held for over two years, was also released.
US Vice President JD Vance said on Friday that Joe Biden administration left about $80 billion worth of military equipment in Afghanistan, which was a “catastrophic error.”
Vance made the remarks during a visit to a military base in Greenland.
He also said the Biden administration’s “catastrophic error” led to the deaths of 13 US soldiers in an attack during the evacuation at Kabul airport in August 2021.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump also criticized the abandonment of military equipment in Afghanistan and called for its return.
The Islamic Emirate, however, has said that the weapons left by the US in Afghanistan belong to the Afghans and will not be returned.
The Supreme Court announced on Saturday that based on the ruling of the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate, 2,463 prisoners have been pardoned and released on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.
The court said in a statement that the prison terms of another 3,152 prisoners have been reduced.
Eid in Afghanistan will be celebrated on Sunday or Monday, depending on the moon sighting.
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