SHOCKING! Pakistani govt allows people to keep lions, tigers, cheetah as pets by paying Rs…

In a shocking decision, the government in Pakistan’s Punjab province has passed a new law, allowing citizens to keep dangerous wild animals like lions, cheetah, tigers, puma, jaguar, among others, as pets by paying a nominal fee of PKR 50,000 (about Rs 15,512). According to reports, Punjab’s provincial government made amendments in the Wildlife Act 1974, changing the rules related to the care of animals, allowing residents to keep wild beasts as pets.

Defending the new amendment, Maryam Aurangzeb, a Senior Minister in the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif-led government of Punjab, said people already kept such animals as pets in the province, albeit illegally, which did not allow the state machinery to prevent animal abuse or monitor illegal trade of wild animals as there no rules were laid down.

As per reports, people who wish to keep wild animals like lions, cheetah, or tigers, etc as pets must acquire a license by paying a sum of PKR 50,000 per animal.

Pet owners must follow strict rules

However, there are strict rules the pet owners must adhere or risk stringent legal action. The new rules mandate that the wild animals must be kept outside city limits at all times, and people who already have these animals at their homes within the city limits, must shift them out of the city before the specified deadline.

Additionally, posting pictures of ‘pet’ wild animals on social media is strictly prohibited and will invite legal consequences for violators.

New forest protection laws

Apart from legalising the practice of keeping wild animals as pets, the Punjab government has brought new laws for protection of forests, including the Punjab Forest Transit Rules 2024, under which checkpoints will be set up across the region to prevent illegal transportation of forest products and wildlife.

The new rules have also made it illegal to transport wild animals between sunrise and sunset, in addition to a blanket ban on the establishment of sawmills and coal kilns within five-mile radius from the forest boundary line.

According to Maryam Aurangzeb, the new laws are aimed to prevent illegal transportation of forest products, promote transparency and protect forest resources. The Minister informed that a special squad will be formed to enforce the new rules, which will replace the old forest depot rules of 2013.