‘Community service’ ordered: TikToker convicted for possessing lion cub unlawfully

LAHORE: A special judicial magistrate on Thursday convicted a TikToker Rajab Ali Butt for possessing a lion cub unlawfully and ordered him to do “community service” for one year as an alternative to his sentence.

A written order issued by the magistrate said, “The TikToker will record a video in the form of Vlog with dedicated content on the animal’s right in the first week of every month for a year starting from February 2025 to January 2026”.

As per the magistrate’s order, the convicted tiktoker will undergo the sentence of the community service under the supervision of probation officer Maheen Solat.

The lion cub recovered from the illegal possession of the tiktoker has already been ordered to retain at Lahore Wildlife Safari Zoo as an interim arrangement.

The magistrate noted that the accused Rajab pleaded guilty to the charge of having possession of a lion cub without any proper permit.

“The convict admitted his guilt in a steadfast manner, and he evidently demonstrated remorse over his action as he voluntarily pleaded that he be given a chance to do community service as a corrective measure,” the magistrate said in his order.

The magistrate said that the nature of the offence, the manner of commission and forthright manner of admission of guilt coupled with readiness of the convict to educate the public regarding the animals’ rights makes it an appropriate case to order the convict to undergo community service for one year.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025