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xorcism continues to be a curse for the people of Sindh, claiming precious lives in remote areas. Recently, Sangeeta, a pregnant woman from Badin, belonging to the Kohli community, fell prey to a brutal exorcism ritual.
The false beliefs among the community, pertaining to the influence of evil forces, demons and witches, led her in-laws to an exorcist who applied brutal torture to ‘rid’ the 30-year-old woman of ‘evil’ forces.
The grisly practices of exorcists, also known as witch-doctors in common parlance, rendered her breathless. The exorcist kept beating her with a stick even after she had breathed her last. The incident has not only attracted the attention of the masses but also grabbed the attention of international media.
Besides domestic violence, honour killings and tribal feuds, exorcism is among the major causes behind the loss of precious lives in rural Sindh. With rural-urban migration over the past two decades, the practice has reached urban areas as well. Among the most shocking cases of exorcism around 20 years ago was that of Kaneez Fatima, a 60-year-old, and her young son, who died at the hands of an exorcist.
Kaneez Fatima was the elder sister of former provincial minister Dr Muhammad Ali Shah. The exorcist was later acquitted for want of evidence. In July last year, an exorcist was arrested by the police in Sukkur after a 16-year-old lost his life after being beaten up. Daya Bheel of Sanghar district met a similar fate last year. Her relatives claimed that she wanted to be spiritually healed and had approached a faith healer on her own initiative. In 2016, a girl in Umerkot district of Sindh suffered severe burn injuries on her face after a local exorcist tried to “cleanse” her by forcing her into the fire.
Sharing the narrative of the accused booked by police in cases of exorcism, Inspector Muneer Abbasi says, “The exorcist, during interrogation, claimed that the victims approached them for exorcism.” He says a majority of exorcists show no remorse.
The devastating consequences of ritual exorcism in Sindh are a stark reminder of the dangers of blind faith and the desperate need for education, awareness and effective legislation.
DSP Siraj-ul Din Lashari proposes the enactment of a special law to curtail the influence of exorcists, bogus faith healers and their facilitators. He says deterrent punishment should be ordained for the crime.
There is no specific law to deal with the social menace. When such an incident takes place the FIR is under the provisions of Pakistan Penal Code 1860.
Dr Jamil Jonejo, an eminent psychiatrist, revealed that those brought to faith healers and exorcists typically suffer from psychological disorders. However, instead of seeking professional help, some people resort to advice and ‘treatment’ by faith healers and exorcists.
He said a large number of patients putting up with diseases like hepatitis and HIV/AIDS also visit faith healers in the false hope that their disease would be cured.
Dr Beena Khowaja who has served as a gynecologist in several hospitals in rural Sindh, says, “The psychological challenges encountered by women living in remote areas during the initial phase of pregnancy lead them to exorcists and other faith-healers. They expect that their health issues will be resolved but the things do not work as they believe.”
A 2018 study by Liaquat National University revealed that 32 percent of psychiatric patients had sought help from faith healers at some point in their lives. The study found that relatives often introduced patients to these faith healers. Inadequate healthcare facilities, illiteracy and religious beliefs were cited as primary reasons for seeking spiritual healing.
Professor Dr Tipu Sultan, former chairman of the Sindh Healthcare Commission, identified two additional factors contributing to this trend: poverty and ignorance. He emphasised that these factors combine to drive people towards unproven treatments.
According to research conducted by Advocate Mahjabeen Zulfiqar Ali of the Sindh Human Rights Commission, a majority of exorcism victims were women unhappy in their marriages. She further noted that a significant challenge in prosecuting exorcism cases was that victims often consented to undergo the ‘treatment.’ Another key factor she discussed was the desire for offspring.
She said a comprehensive policy was required to deter this menace. However, she also said the practices were not unique to Pakistan and that similar cases were regularly reported from Japan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China and Nepal.
Columnist and social activist from Mirpur Sakro, Ayaz Lashari, believes that many factors contribute to the influence of exorcists and faith healers across Sindh. The major reasons, he says, include poverty, illiteracy and local customs.
According to Lashari, some faith healers and exorcists charge heavy fees to treat the ailing folks. Some people who cannot afford to pay the fees have to sell family assets including cattle and jewelry to meet the expenses.
Social welfare organisations should come forward to educate the marginalized communities and raise awareness about the harm of such practices. For its part, , the state should take a hard stance against the elements promoting such practices.
The devastating consequences of exorcism in Sindh are a stark reminder of the dangers of blind faith and the desperate need for education, awareness and effective legislation. The loss of precious lives, including that of Sangeeta, must not be ignored or forgotten.
The author is a practicing lawyer and freelance journalist. His areas of interest are cultural diversity and socio-political issues of Sindh. He holds a master’s degree in law and tweets as ZainSha1 on X.