Zubair Qureshi
The Islamabad police on Wednesday registered a case against a female TikToker for setting greenery and vegetation on fire inside the Margallah Hills National Park before shooting a video and uploaded it on the video sharing app TikTok. According to the sources, she had set the forest on fire to create a dramatic effect.
A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against the TikToker Dolly under the wildlife and environment protection laws.
According to the FIR registered at a local police station on the complaint of an Assistant Director of the CDA, a video has gone viral on TikTok in which a local TikTok star named Dolly can be seen walking while forest in the background is burning.
“The area is part of Margallah Hills National Park (MHNP) which has already been protected under law against any activity that can cause harm to the park and its living. In the past, too, the area has been devastated by fires causing damage to the MHNP’s ecosystem,” the FIR said.
Before Dolly, a video of two young men setting the forest on fire at Margalla Hills for the same purpose i.e. to create a dramatic impression drew widespread criticism and anger.In the video, one of the two TikTokers could be seen setting the forest ablaze with a lighter. Meanwhile, a video clip is also taking rounds on social media in which a young man could be seen walking while the trees are burning in the background.
Sharing a video of the newly hatched birds after their mother either left the jungle or perished due to fire in the jungle, Chairperson of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board Rina S Khan appealed to the public to realize the damage fires cause to forest species. “This is the breeding season for birds in Margallas right now and their ground nests are destroyed by fire. They can’t even escape.
About the MHNP fire incident, Rina Khan said, “This is a disturbing & disastrous trend on Tik Tok! Young people desperate 4 followers are setting fire to our forests during this hot & dry season! In Australia it is lifetime imprisonment for those who start wildfires. We need to introduce similar legislation here in Pakistan,” she said.
Dolly is a local TikTok star with over 11 million followers on the social media app with a verified account.
Meanwhile, TikTok in a statement while commenting on the recent incidents of putting jungles on fire, said any content that promoted dangerous or illegal behaviour would be a violation of our community guidelines and is not allowed on our platform.
“We work to either remove limits, or label content that depicts dangerous or illegal acts. We remain vigilant in our commitment to user safety and encourage everyone to exercise caution and responsibility in their behaviour whether online or off,” the statement said.
