Sindh’s Minister for Culture has taken notice of a viral obscene video allegedly filmed inside the historic Naukot Fort, prompting administrative action and a police investigation into the incident.
Following the development, Vejhoto police arrested a fort guard, Walam Bheel, and shifted him to an undisclosed location for interrogation.
Police sources said initial investigations indicate that visitors involved in obscene acts inside the fort were secretly filmed and later blackmailed.
Authorities suspect that an organized blackmailing gang has been operating inside the fort for several years, with the alleged connivance of a guard.
According to sources, the group provided visitors with secluded spots in exchange for money, secretly recorded videos of intimate acts, and later extorted the victims. Several such videos are reportedly in circulation.
A former retired guard, Aachar Bheel, claimed the video was around a year old. However, police officials said the investigation suggests a pattern of systematic exploitation rather than an isolated incident.
In August last year, Culture Minister Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah conducted a surprise visit to Naukot Fort, during which several absent employees were suspended, though they were later reinstated.
Visitors and residents expressed serious concern, warning that the emergence of obscene content from heritage sites could severely damage tourism.
They questioned the accountability of fort staff, noting that an entry fee of Rs50 is charged and thousands of rupees are collected daily.
Journalists attempting to obtain an official statement from SHO Amin Junejo alleged that he behaved rudely and threatened them, prompting the matter to be reported to the SSP Tharparkar.
Social and political leaders from Naukot and surrounding areas have demanded a transparent inquiry and strict legal action, urging the prime minister, Sindh chief minister, and culture minister to intervene to protect the province’s historical heritage and tourism sector.
