LAHORE – The Punjab Wildlife Department arrested a citizen Azhar Mehmood for illegally keeping a lion in Lahore’s Allama Iqbal Town.
The department took action on a viral video of a lion on social media. Mr Azhar was arrested for violating the Wildlife Act, and the lion was taken into safe custody.
Under the special directives of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, legislation has been enacted recently to strengthen wildlife protection laws. According to the new law, keeping wild animals without a license or displaying them in public can lead to seven years in prison and a fine of Rs5 million.
According to the Wildlife Department, Azhar Mehmood had illegally kept a lion in a cage on the roof of his house, which did not meet the required size standards.
As per the law, bringing wild animals to public places and promoting them is a criminal offense. The action was taken under Sections 10-B and 12 of the Wildlife Act.
Senior Provincial Minister Maryam Aurangzeb appreciated the timely action of the department and instructed strict enforcement of wildlife protection laws. She emphasized that no leniency will be shown to those violating the law and that strict regulations regarding wild animals and birds will be enforced.
She urged the public to avoid illegally keeping or promoting wild animals and to report any violations to the relevant authorities to ensure the strict implementation of the law.
