SC moved to regulate spiritual leaders

SC requested to direct PEMRA to ban programs and ads of unregulated spiritual leaders

ISLAMABAD: Just five days after a spiritual leader killed 20 people at a Sargodha shrine, a petition has been filed in the apex court to regulate spiritual healers just like doctors and till then impose a ban on them.

The petition filed on Friday by Supreme Court (SC) lawyer Dr Aslam Khaki under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution makes federal and all provincial governments through their chief secretaries, Pakistan Press Council (PPC) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) respondents.

The applicant seeks direction to respondents to regulate the practices of spiritual healers. Till then, the petitioner sought a ban on such practices.



The petitioner Dr Khaki is also the chairman of Insaaf Welfare Trust working for the promotion of justice in society through legal measures.

The petitioner further prayed the SC to direct the federal and provincial governments to ban such practices until permitted and licensed by the regulatory authority. The PPC be asked to issue direction to all the print media not to print or publish any such advertisement for such treatments, or any such practice by spiritual leaders. Likewise, the PEMRA be directed to direct the TV channels (electronic media) not to telecast any programme or advertise promoting such types of treatment and malpractices.

Dr Khaki says that citizens of Pakistan have also approached him showing their concern over the menace of treatment of the innocent, illiterate men and women by fake healers in the name of spiritual treatment. These people having no expertise or knowledge of the Shariah are spreading misguidance and anti-Islamic faith on one hand, while on the other are playing with the health as well as the lives of people and also squeeze money from their poor clients.

The petitioner also referred to the recent incident where more than 20 lives were lost and many injured by a spiritual leader of a shrine in Sargodha.

“Article 2A mandates the state to provide an environment enabling the Muslim citizens of Pakistan to live their lives in accordance with Islam. The above referred spiritual treatment and activities by fake people not only damage the lives of the people but also their faith,” says the petition.