People want Waqar Zaka to be PM after court orders to lift PUBG ban

With the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordering Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to immediately lift the ban imposed on popular online multiplayer game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), Pakistanis are taking to social media to praise VJ-turned-television host Waqar Zaka’s efforts in this regard and seek his election as the country’s prime minister (PM).

Pakistan’s ban on PUBG had been challenged in the Sindh High Court (SHC) by Zaka who had taken to social media to express his outrage as well as “expose” some shady conspiracy theories behind the ban.

According to the YouTuber, the ban on PUBG, which the authorities said had come after PTA received “numerous complaints against PUBG wherein it was stated that the game is addictive, wastage of time and poses a serious negative impact on the physical and psychological health of children”, was “actually to prevent Pakistani youth from excelling in e-sports”.

“These are the same people who don’t want our children to become famous around the world, who don’t want our country to generate revenue online, who want to send out a message to the e-sports providers around the world to prevent them from setting up their business here – reason why YouTube never did. These people will not allow us to evolve, a digital revolution needs to be brought,” Zaka had said in a video message.

With the popular television personality continuing to raise his voice against the ban and separately the IHC on Friday finally ordering PTA to lift it, here’s what people have to say as ‘#ThankYouWaqarZaka’ trends on Twitter in Pakistan.

Love him, Hate him, call him attention seeker or whatever to satisfy your ego. But you can't deny the fact that he is standing up for every issue like every influencer should. Not a keyboard warrior.

The Hero we don't deserve but the hero we need.@ZakaWaqar #thankyouwaqarzaka pic.twitter.com/wBnVH8KpVK

— A. (@Ahmadridismo) July 24, 2020

Now it’s time for these old thick skulls to retire and give way to someone young like @ZakaWaqar who actually knows about tech unlike these buddhi roohen who don’t know shit about it.#ITMINISTERWAQARZAKA #ITMinisterResignKaro#THANKYOUWAQARZAKA https://t.co/MehkdpyaRv

— Hamza Ali (@HamzaAli1717) July 24, 2020

Pubg unban in Pakistan Cause of this guy #thankyouwaqarzaka pic.twitter.com/dVyV1upKRY

— Waleed Yousuf 🇵🇸🇵🇰 (@WaleedYousuf18) July 24, 2020

Ready to vote him for PM ❤
We need digital revolution. #thankyouwaqarzaka pic.twitter.com/y6AXPyDXiK

— Talha Ch (@beingtalha_ch) July 24, 2020

On June 23, Lahore Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Zulfiqar Hameed had recommended a ban on the online game.

The CCPO had taken up the matter with the higher authorities through a letter referring to the death by suicide of a teenage boy, who was an ardent player of the game. It had led to a temporary ban on the game, which was followed by a PTA statement on Thursday, according to which the ban was to stay in place.