- The E-PAK initiative will aim to promote esports in Pakistan
- The initiative was created and will be supported by the country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
- The Free Fire Pro League will be the first event to receive support from both the Ministry and E-PAK
Pakistan is joining the efforts to popularize esports with the E-PAK initiative, supported by the country’s very Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Introducing Esports to the Youth
Pakistan is looking to create a healthy, functional, and sustainable esports ecosystem. To this end, the country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has founded the Elite Gamer Pack or E-PAK for short. E-PAK is an initiative that will be focused on familiarizing the Pakistani youth with esports.
With these efforts, Pakistan hopes to raise a generation of esports athletes that can play on a professional level and pursue gaming as a career. The MOIB believes that esports is not only fun and thought-provoking but is also a great opportunity for young people to amass some substantial earnings. Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Ahmed Chaudhry, is convinced of the potential of the country’s youth to become a part of that.
Chaudhry announced on July 19 that a Memorandum of Understanding had been signed between the ministry and two gaming-related parties – the game developer and publisher Garena and the streaming service Bigo Live.
With those two powerful partners, the Ministry and E-PAK will be endorsing the Garena Free Fire Pro League, which will become the first esports league to receive both bodies’ support.
The minister is excited to become a part of the growing esports ecosystem.
Pakistan’s Relationship with Esports
Although the country is pretty keen on development in the technology department, esports has had some minor hurdles in recent times.
For example, in 2020, several reports were filed, claiming the game PlayerUnknown’s Battleground Mobile was having a negative impact on children – the complaints elaborated that the game is addictive prompts young people to waste their time and ruins their psychological health.
Following this, the country had temporarily banned the game until the Islamabad High Court stepped in and ordered the government to immediately lift the ban just three weeks after it was issued.
The Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Fawad Ahmed Chaudhry, was quite disgruntled by the ban and dismissed it as an attempt at moral policing. He opposed adopting a ban culture as it will undermine the country’s industry.
Pakistan joins the tendency of a country’s government to realize the potential of esports and seeking to promote them as both a hobby and a career choice. Earlier this year, Malaysia’s Ministry also supported an esports league.
On the other end of the spectrum, Sweden’s government posed some problems to two of the most influential esports events: the CS:GO Major and the Dota 2 The International 10.
