Muzaffargarh woman commits suicide after being raped and tortured by 'faith healer'

The woman's mother-in-law took her to the healer to drive out 'evil spirits'

MULTAN: A newly-wed woman committed suicide in Shah Jamal, Muzaffargarh after a fake 'faith healer' allegedly raped and tortured her as part of an exorcism.

According to the Shah Jamal police, 20-year-old Nusrat Bibi lived in Goram Bagraoun and got married to Akram one month ago. Her mother-in-law Mumtaz Mai believed she was possessed and took her a local faith healer named Qari Iqbal for an exorcism.

Police further said that Iqbal told Mai that Nusrat was under the influence of evil spirits and needed a ‘healing treatment’ to drive them out or she would not be able to have a child.



As part of the ‘treatment’, the fake faith healer tortured the young woman with hot knives and rods, leaving severe injuries on her hands, feet and body.

When Nusrat returned home, she consumed poison, said police, adding that she appeared to have also been raped before the torture, but a complete autopsy report has yet to be received.

The family took her to Shah Jamal District Hospital where she died.

Mai told police that she regularly went to the accused faith healer for spiritual advice and that is why she took Nusrat to him as well.

Upon the complaint, police raided Iqbal’s workplace, but he had already escaped.

Further investigation is under way, the police said.