School massacre video game withdrawn after social media backlash

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 19 January 2016

The video game "Pakistan Army Retribution" was pulled from sale following widespread criticism for its insensitivity. It depicted the tragic Peshawar school attack where over 130 children lost their lives.

Summary

LAHORE - A video game based on the December 2014 Taliban attack of a Peshawar school, in which more than 130 children were killed, has been withdrawn from sale after triggering a backlash on social media. The game called "Pakistan Army Retribution," offers players a chance to portray soldiers fighting the seven terrorists who overtook the Army Public School, and was released on the one-year anniversary of the massacre. The game had been available for several weeks but only achieved notice after a negative review was published Monday in Dawn. "As much as some would argue the desire to tackle an attacker, visiting the school in this virtual manner is in poor taste. The Peshawar attack was a tragedy that holds national significance since it sent the entire nation into trauma. Any recreation of the carnage that day seems insensitive," reviewer Munir Rahool wrote in Dawn. Rahool was also critical of the game's visual images and controls. Referring to the video game, Umar Sarif of the Punjab Information Technology Board commented, "It wasn't very well done and it was in poor taste. In hindsight it was not a good thing to do. APS was a watershed for Pakistan so we had the idea of using it as a theme to promote peace, tolerance and harmony. The plan was to show children that the best weapons are the pen and the book." - Agencies