Lion seized in Gujar Khan raid

A case has been registered at the Gujar Khan Police Station after a lion was recovered from the residence (dera) of a landlord in the Bewal area. The FIR was lodged by Wildlife Inspector Sami Akhtar.

The case names Tasaddaq Iqbal, a UK-based Pakistani, as the owner of the lion. According to police, the FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Punjab Wildlife Protection, Preservation and Conservation Act, 1974.

The FIR states that, acting on a tip-off, officials recovered a dangerous lion of the African breed from the premises belonging to Malik Tasaddaq Iqbal. A search warrant for the property had been obtained from Civil Judge Gujar Khan, Hasnat Aslam.

An employee tasked with caring for the lion, Rukhsar Ahmed, fled the scene during the raid. Under the amended Punjab Wildlife Act 2025, keeping a lion without proper registration or a license is a legal offence.

Authorities say the suspects violated multiple sections of the Wildlife Act, including Sections 9, 10, 12, 14, 21, and 28.