In a startling move, the punjab province government in pakistan enacted a new law that permits residents to keep dangerous wild creatures as pets, including tigers, lions, cheetahs, pumas, and jaguars, for a small price of PKR 50,000 (about Rs 15,512). The provincial administration of punjab reportedly changed the Wildlife Act of 1974 to let citizens own wild animals as pets by altering the regulations about animal care.
According to Maryam aurangzeb, a Senior minister in the punjab government led by chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who is defending the new amendment, people in the province already kept these animals as pets, albeit illegally, making it impossible for the state apparatus to stop animal abuse or keep an eye on the illicit trade in wild animals because no regulations were in place.
People who want to keep wild creatures as pets, such as tigers, lions, or cheetahs, reportedly need to obtain a license and pay PKR 50,000 for each animal.
Pet owners must follow strict rules
However, pet owners must follow certain regulations or face severe legal repercussions. According to the new regulations, wild animals must always be maintained outside the city borders, and anybody who now has these creatures at home within the city limits must move them outside of the city before the deadline.
Furthermore, it is completely forbidden to share images of "pet" wild animals on social media, and those who do so risk legal repercussions.
New forest protection laws
In addition to allowing the keeping of wild animals as pets, the punjab government has introduced new forest protection laws, such as the punjab Forest Transit Rules 2024, which call for the establishment of checkpoints throughout the area to stop the unlawful movement of wildlife and forest products.
Along with outright prohibiting the construction of sawmills and coal kilns within five miles of the forest borderline, the new regulations also make it unlawful to transport wild animals between sunrise and dusk.
Maryam aurangzeb claims that the new regulations are intended to safeguard natural resources, encourage transparency, and stop the illicit movement of forest products. The minister said that the 2013 forest depot regulations would be replaced by new ones and that a special squad will be established to police them.
According to Maryam aurangzeb, a Senior minister in the punjab government led by chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who is defending the new amendment, people in the province already kept these animals as pets, albeit illegally, making it impossible for the state apparatus to stop animal abuse or keep an eye on the illicit trade in wild animals because no regulations were in place.
People who want to keep wild creatures as pets, such as tigers, lions, or cheetahs, reportedly need to obtain a license and pay PKR 50,000 for each animal.
Pet owners must follow strict rules
However, pet owners must follow certain regulations or face severe legal repercussions. According to the new regulations, wild animals must always be maintained outside the city borders, and anybody who now has these creatures at home within the city limits must move them outside of the city before the deadline.
Furthermore, it is completely forbidden to share images of "pet" wild animals on social media, and those who do so risk legal repercussions.
New forest protection laws
In addition to allowing the keeping of wild animals as pets, the punjab government has introduced new forest protection laws, such as the punjab Forest Transit Rules 2024, which call for the establishment of checkpoints throughout the area to stop the unlawful movement of wildlife and forest products.
Along with outright prohibiting the construction of sawmills and coal kilns within five miles of the forest borderline, the new regulations also make it unlawful to transport wild animals between sunrise and dusk.
Maryam aurangzeb claims that the new regulations are intended to safeguard natural resources, encourage transparency, and stop the illicit movement of forest products. The minister said that the 2013 forest depot regulations would be replaced by new ones and that a special squad will be established to police them.
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