By Abid Usman
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday approved TikToker Nosheen Saeed alias Dolly’s pre-arrest bail application in a case related to a forest fire at the Margalla Hills last month.
Saeed, who has more than 11 million followers on TikTok, had posted a clip of herself walking playfully in a silver ball gown in front of a burning hillside, presumably the Margalla Hills in Islamabad, with the caption: “Fire erupts wherever I am.”
Her video was immediately criticised on social media as people initially assumed that she had started the blaze herself at a time when a devastating heatwave was under way in Pakistan causing forest fires.
Within hours after it was uploaded, the video was taken down from the application.
Later, Saeed said in a clarification released by an assistant that she did not start the fire and there was “no harm in making videos”.
She had applied for pre-arrest bail after registration of a first information report by Kohsar Police under various sections of the Environment Protection Agency and Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance.
After the preliminary hearing, the court granted her interim bail till June 8 (today).
During today’s hearing, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri asked the police if they had evidence that proved that the blaze was started by the TikToker. “And what is the worth of the trees damaged in it,” he further inquired.
The investigating officer responded that the authorities yet still determining the total loss incurred in the blaze.
Subsequently, the court approved Saeed’s request for pre-arrest bail and instructed the police to include her in the investigation of the case.
The Islamabad Police had registered two separate FIRs after two videos went viral on social media; one showing two young TikTokers setting the forest on fire with a lighter on Margalla Hills. Another video that went viral on social media showed a model and TikToker Dolly performing in front of a fire.
