RAWALPINDI: According to newspaper reports, a crackdown on fake pirs has been launched in Lahore, with some fraudulent ones having been arrested recently. This move of the district administration is commendable as all those involved in deceiving people in the name of religion and spirituality should be punished. However, here some questions also arise about why people seek the help of pirs. Why do they fall prey to their shenanigans? Why do they trust these men? Why do they give huge sums of money so readily to them? Why do they agree to fulfill all sorts of demands made by these pirs?
The simple answer to these questions is that a large number of people in our country believe in the supernatural and, therefore, go to these pirs to get their problems solved. Secondly, as a people, we have the tendency to blame others for our own shortcomings. As a nation, we tend to hold other countries responsible for our difficulties. Similarly, in an individual capacity, too, we tend to blame others for our hardships. Pirs help to reinforce such beliefs by telling us that our problems are a result of black magic or a mischief of an evil jinn. Thirdly, most people here do not have access to quality medical facilities and, therefore, go to pirs to find cures for diseases.
Along with the legal action that is being taken against fake pirs, there is also a need to launch a media campaign to create awareness about the kind of fraudulent activities they are involved in.
Asim Iqbal
Published in The Express Tribune, January 8th, 2013.
