KARACHI: Pakistani police said on Friday they had killed a top bandit who was famous for his videos on TikTok and had operated for years in the notorious riverine marshlands of the Punjab province.
Shahid Lund had been hiding out in the riverine terrain in Punjab which has long offered refuge to bandits. The 28-year-old used the Internet to enthrall citizens even as he preyed on them, according to police.
On TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, he fascinated tens of thousands with messages delivered with a gun in hand, romanticizing his rural lifestyle and cultivating a reputation as a champion of the people.
The Punjab police said on Friday Lund, who led the Lund gang, one of several groups of bandits in Pakistan’s riverine area, had been killed in a joint operation by the Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur district police.
“The Government of Punjab had placed a bounty of Rs10 million ($35,811) on Shahid Lund,” the Punjab police said in a statement on X. “The deceased bandit was wanted by the police in 28 cases, including killing of policemen, terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, attacks on police, murders and robberies.”
Lund was said to dwell on a sandy island in the riverlands, often called the ‘katcha’ area that roughly translates to ‘backwaters,’ on the Indus River which skewers Pakistan from top to bottom. High-standing crops provide cover for ambushes and the region is riven by shifting seasonal waterways that complicate pursuit over crimes ranging from kidnapping to highway robbery and smuggling.
At the intersection of three of Pakistan’s four provinces, gangs with hundreds of members have for decades capitalized on poor coordination between police forces by flitting across jurisdictions. Sweeping police operations and even an army incursion in 2016 failed to impose law and order. This August, a rocket attack on a police convoy killed 12 officers.
Some bandits use the web to lay “honey-traps” luring kidnap victims by impersonating romantic suitors, business partners and advertising cheap sales of tractors or cars, while others parade hostages in clips for ransom or exhibit arsenals of heavy weapons in musical TikToks. Lund had by far the largest online profile — irking police with a combined 200,000 followers.
The Punjab police chief, Dr. Usman Anwar, lauded the Rahim Yar Khan and Rajanpur police for the successful operation in the riverlands.
“It is the mission of the police to eliminate terrorists, dacoits and miscreants from the katcha area,” Anwar was quoted as saying by the provincial police.
Pakistan police kill top bandit who used TikTok to terrorize, transfix Punjab’s riverine marshlands
https://arab.news/88tfd
Pakistan police kill top bandit who used TikTok to terrorize, transfix Punjab’s riverine marshlands
- Shahid Lund among bandits using Internet to parade hostages, exhibited arsenals of weapons in musical TikToks
- High-standing crops in Katcha lands along Indus River provide cover for ambushes, kidnappings, highway robberies, smuggling
Pakistan seeks cooperation with US on regulating digital assets, ambassador says
- Islamabad signals push to align crypto regulation with global frameworks
- Move follows creation of crypto council, regulator, recent private-sector deals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is seeking closer cooperation with the United States on the regulation and governance of digital assets as it builds a formal policy and regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies and related technologies, Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington said on Tuesday, according to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan.
The outreach comes as Pakistan moves to bring digital assets into a regulated space after years of informal use and legal ambiguity. Earlier this year, the government set up a Pakistan Crypto Council to advise on policy, followed by the passage of a Virtual Assets Ordinance and the creation of a dedicated Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority to oversee licensing, compliance and market supervision. Officials have described the steps as part of a broader effort to align with international standards while managing financial and regulatory risks.
The policy push has accelerated in recent weeks, with Pakistan announcing partnerships with global crypto firms, including Binance, and signing agreements with domestic exchange HSX aimed at improving compliance, investor protection and market infrastructure. Authorities say millions of Pakistanis already use digital assets, largely outside the formal financial system, prompting concerns over consumer risk, capital flows and regulatory oversight.
“Sheikh highlighted Pakistan’s massive strides in adoption and regulation of digital assets and cryptocurrencies,” Radio Pakistan reported, referring to comments by Pakistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, during a meeting with Patrick Witt, Executive Director at the US President’s Council of Advisers for Digital Assets.
“He said the establishment of Pakistan Crypto Council (PCC), Promulgation of Virtual Assets Ordinance/Act 2025, Creation of Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) and a landmark shift in central Bank’s perspective are reflective of our conscious effort to put in place an institutional framework and comprehensive ecosystem to facilitate millions of our users of digital assets.”
According to Radio Pakistan, Sheikh told his US counterpart that Pakistan viewed cooperation, coordination and collaboration as central to building what he described as a “new economy,” and expressed interest in learning from international regulatory experiences. The broadcaster said the ambassador also welcomed what he described as US leadership in shaping global approaches to digital finance and blockchain regulation.
Pakistan’s move to formalize digital asset regulation comes amid broader economic reforms under an International Monetary Fund program, with authorities under pressure to strengthen financial controls, improve transparency and manage risks linked to emerging technologies. While officials have framed the crypto framework as regulation-first rather than promotion-led, analysts say its implementation, particularly enforcement and coordination with the central bank, will be closely watched by international lenders and investors.
The US meeting did not announce any agreements or joint initiatives, but Pakistani officials have indicated that further engagement with international partners is planned as the country develops detailed rules for licensing, taxation and compliance in the digital assets sector.
