We need specialized unit to deal with cybercrimes: Fahad Baloch

Social media is not only the most efficient form of communication in the modern world, but it has also permeated every aspect of society — from politics to commerce and trade — no one can escape it in any field of life. While social media has a lot to offer in terms of positive aspects, it also has a lot of drawbacks and serves as a haven for cybercrimes.

Just like other countries, there are many concerns regarding the harmful use of social media in Pakistan.

Fahad Baloch is a brilliant young lawyer from Karachi who also works as a social activist. Fahad, who has a strong desire to serve the community, constantly seeks for betterment especially in his profession as a lawyer in the field of cybercrimes.

MM News’ Maria Razzak interviewed to him to know more about Fahad’s work and how valuable it is for our society.

Q: Tell me how difficult is it to deal with cybercrime complaints?

A: Dealing with cybercrimes is quite challenging as in most cases, the complainant is unaware of the culprit behind his troubles i.e. who’s leaking his stuff on social media or defrauding him in online scams. We have to do awful lot of work to resolve these cases as often in cybercrimes just lodging the complaint doesn’t solve the issue. In such cases, we move the appropriate authorities to help the victim.

On the other hand, when the complainant is aware of the offender, the situation becomes a little easier. Rather than contacting the appropriate FIA division, we try to get the accused arrested by calling the police, which lessens their burden. However, in the first instance, it is it is necessary to go through the process of FIA Cybercrime, which is a drawn-out process. That’s why we need specialized unit to deal with cybercrimes in every city’s police department.

Q: You have been helping people for a while, have you ever had a tough case that you made a personal challenge for yourself?

A: The biggest challenge for us was the murder of Shah Zeb. This tragic incident occurred in 2012, and after much effort and work, we were finally successful thanks to the support of the public and social media.

Q: Amid surge in street crimes in Karachi, what is the thing you receive most complaints about?

A: Predominately, we get cell phone snatching complaints, followed by bikes and automobiles. The complexity is that these cases are so many that countless cases are pending. I believe that there is a need for a lot of attention in this respect, and the relevant institutions should examine these cases on a large scale so that people could get some relief.

Q: Please share a moment or two when you felt proud about your work?

A: Not once or twice, it happens again and again. Every time someone is in distress, and we are able to solve his problem, we receive multitude of prayers. It gives us strength to go on.