Pakistan: Minor boy shot dead mother, 3 siblings 'under the influence' of PUBG
Lahore, Jan 28: A 14-year-old boy shot dead his entire family, including mother and two minor sisters, allegedly "under the influence" of online game PUBG, police here in the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province said on Friday.
Nahid Mubarak, a 45-year-old health worker, was found dead along with her 22-year-old son Taimur and two daughters aged 17 and 11 in Lahore's Kahna area last week.
Her teenage son who remained unhurt and is the lone survivor of the family turned out to be the murderer, police said in a statement.
The PUBG (PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds) addict boy confessed to have killed her mother and siblings under the influence of the game. He has developed some psychological issues because of spending long hours of the day playing the online game, the statement said.
Police said Nahid was a divorcee and often used to admonish the boy for not paying attention to his studies and spending most of his time playing PUBG.
"On the day of the incident, Nahid scolded the boy over the matter. Later, the boy took out her mother's pistol from a cupboard and shot her and his three other siblings dead in their sleep.
"Next morning, the boy raised an alarm and the neighbours called the police. The boy that time told police that he was on the upper storey of the house and did not know how his family was killed, the statement said.
The licensed pistol was acquired by Nahid for her family's protection, police said, adding that the weapon is yet to be recovered from a drain where the boy had dumped it.
The blood-stained cloth of the suspect has been recovered, they said.
According to a report in Dawn newspaper, this is the fourth such crime related to the online game in Lahore. When the first case surfaced in 2020, the then capital city police officer Zulfiqar Hameed had recommended a ban on the game to save lives, time and the future of millions of teenagers.
Three young players of the game have died by suicide in the last two years and the police in its reports declared PUBG as the reason behind the deaths, it said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has officially included gaming disorder as a disease in the International Classification of Diseases.
Gaming disorder is defined as a pattern of behaviour characterised by impaired control over gaming (digital or video), increasing priority given to it over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.
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Adequate LPG stock in Chhattisgarh, no need to panic, says CM Sai
Raipur (PTI): Amid reports of shortage of commercial LPG cylinder in several parts of the country due to the US-Israel-Iran conflict, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Tuesday assured people that they need not worry about the availability of cooking gas in the state.
He asserted that adequate stock of LPG as well as petrol and diesel was available in the state.
Sai said in a statement that authorities have been directed to regularly monitor stock at gas agencies and keep a close watch on the supply chain. Necessary instructions were issued to officials in all districts to ensure a smooth supply of LPG.
The chief minister instructed officials to take strict action if any complaint of black marketing or hoarding of LPG cylinders is received.
Sai urged state residents not to pay attention to rumours and to book cooking gas cylinders as per their actual requirement.
The government was fully alert to ensure the availability of essential commodities to citizens, he emphasised.
Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Hotel and Restaurant Association has issued an advisory to hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food businesses across the state, urging them to maintain calm and avoid panic buying.
In the advisory, Taranjeet Singh Hora, president of the association, asked members to maintain coordination and immediately inform it about any major disruption in LPG supply.
He cautioned businesses against hoarding cylinders, saying such practices could worsen the situation for the entire hospitality sector.
The association advised hotels and restaurants to prioritise essential kitchen operations, core menu items and already committed banquet events.
Use electric cooking equipment wherever possible for emergency and staff kitchens such as induction cooktops, electric hot plates, electric rice cookers and kettles, the advisory stated.
