Using sites like TikHub and Instagram to enthrall and terrify residents simultaneously, infamous gang boss Shahid Lund Baloch has converted the art of crime into an interesting online performance in the sandy stretches of the Katcha territory near the Indus River. Baloch is wanted for major crimes, including murder and kidnapping, with a bounty of 10 million rupees (about $36,000) on his head, yet he presents a flashy image and a mustachioed outlaw appeal.
Baloch's online profile contrasts sharply with his actual aggressive behavior. Presenting himself as a misunderstood person, he often uploads videos showing him brandishing weapons, interacting with his admirers, and romanticizing his life in the wild terrain of the Katcha. Appealing to those who consider him as a local hero, he asks viewers in one film, "Do you know my circumstances or my reasons for taking up arms?"
Although many view Baloch as a defender of the people, local locals have another view. Former MP Javed Dhillon notes, "People who are sitting on the outside think he is a hero, but the people here know he is not.” His harsh rule, which included abductions and extortion, has fallen most on the residents.
With their complex rivers and rich crops, the Katcha offers a perfect hideaway for criminals like Baloch, who use the topography to escape law enforcement. The area has a lengthy history of criminal activity, which is aggravuated by ineffective law enforcement across borders. Senior police officer Naveed Wahla points out that natural elements like sugarcane fields and water turbines enable criminal activities, which lets gangs conduct ambushes and escape capture.
Notwithstanding earlier initiatives involving military incursions and intensive police operations, the situation has not gotten better. Recent sad events, including the kidnapping of local citizens for payback, show that the climate of dread never changes. Haq Nawaz, whose son vanished, bemoaned, "There is no one to look after our wellbeing."
The advent of social media has altered the scene of crime on the Katcha grounds. Using "honey-traps" to entice victims and showing firearms in movies that glamorize their illegal lives, Baloch and other gang members use the internet to further their aims. Baloch's online presence, with a total following of more than 200,000 on social media, has attracted interest and respect from many, therefore complicating law enforcement initiatives.
Police have battled Baloch's influence; Rizwan Gondal, the Rahim Yar Khan district police chief, admitted the difficulties in apprehending him. "Let him say, 'I am going to surrender before the state to prove that I am innocent,'" he said, noting Baloch's media acumen. "Let the media cover it."
In his defense, Baloch says he responds to systematic neglect the nearby poor farming villages endure. Asserting that his activities result from a need for justice in a lawless environment, he asks, "If they gave us schools, electricity, government hospitals and justice, why would anyone even think of taking up arms?"
Although such policies have not yet been carried out, the local authorities have suggested reducing mobile phone coverage in the Katcha grounds to 2G in order to restrict access to social media, effectively isolating people. Low-tech remedies have also showed some success in the meanwhile; police have reportedly prevented over 500 possible abductions since August by using billboards and loudspeakers to spread awareness of the threats presented by gangs.
Police officials remain concerned about Baloch's online presence as he negotiates the complexity of his twin identity as both a criminal and a social media celebrity. "People will idealize Shahid Lund Baloch, but when they ultimately get kidnapped by him, then they will realize who he really is," senior officer Wahla said. The continuous story of Baloch and his fellow criminals emphasizes the complex link among crime, social media, and community opinion in the Katcha territories.
