'Disturbing & Disastrous Trend': Pakistan TikTok Star Slammed for Posing Next to Forest Blaze in Vid

As Pakistan remains gripped by a lethal heatwave, with temperatures breaking 50°C (122°F) in places after a similarly hot March and the hottest April on record, police arrested a man in the north-western city of Abbottabad earlier in May for intentionally starting a forest fire as a background for a video.

A Pakistani social media star has faced a mighty backlash because of a TikTok video where she posed against the backdrop of a raging forest fire, despite the fact the country is reeling from a heatwave.

In the since deleted video, the model, who goes by the name of Dolly and boasts more than 11 million followers on the platform, is shown walking leisurely in a silver gown while the hillside behind her burns.

In the caption, she wrote: "Fire erupts wherever I am."

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 ⁦@WildlifeBoard pic.twitter.com/RGMXnbG9f1

— Rina S Khan Satti (@rinasaeed) May 17, 2022

The clip was filmed in partnership with a fashion brand, Bling, a local English-language newspaper, Express Tribune, reported adding that the shoot was set in the Margalla Hills Range - home to about 218 species of birds.

After the incident, a police complaint was filed against the influencer, under wildlife and environment protection laws, the Express Tribune said.

Many slammed the social media star for purportedly deliberately setting off a blaze despite a warning as Pakistan remains in the grips of a heatwave. The country recently witnessed the hottest March in 61 years.

https://t.co/mOwypqdbaQ

— Talha ahmad (@talhaahmad967) May 17, 2022

what kind of generation is this, what parents are teaching their kids, we re going towards total destruction, just for the sake of a 60 seconds clip look what have they done, forgetting that we are facing worst temperature in 60 years@ICT_Police

— trailtrackpk (@waji33) May 17, 2022

No one considers a crime a crime unless there are severe punishments pic.twitter.com/K8NtVQG4SQ

— M░A░L░I░K░ 🇵🇰 (@MalikAsmat) May 17, 2022

Not sure if she actually set the forest on fire or took advantage of the fire. Can you confirm she actually set fire to the forest.

— Sarwat Ayub (@sashayub) May 17, 2022

Chairman of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, Rina Saeed Khan Satti, also expressed her outrage on her Twitter account over the incident. She posted a video of baby birds rescued from forest fires.

Those who set fire to forests don’t realise damage they do to wildlife! It is breeding season for birds in Margallahs right now & their ground nests destroyed by fire, can’t even escape! Here’s video sent by KP forest dept after recent fires in Haripur side ⁦@WildlifeBoard⁩ pic.twitter.com/o172HL4oyz

— Rina S Khan Satti (@rinasaeed) May 17, 2022

TikTok on Tuesday also responded to the backlash, saying it did not advocate or allow “dangerous or illegal behaviour".

"Any content that promotes dangerous or illegal behaviour would be a violation of our community guidelines and is not allowed on our platform,” TikTok said in a statement.

The TikTok celebrity’s video was made soon after police arrested a man earlier in May in the north-western city of Abbottabad for deliberately starting a forest fire as a background for his video.

In countries that suffer from extreme heat, such as Australia, there are severe laws against starting a bushfire intentionally and being reckless in causing its spread. Legal actions range "from cautions through to criminal charges," with perpetrators potentially facing up to 21 years in prison, according to NSW police.