New twist in Peshawar faith healer’s bizarre story

Husband claims nail was actually struck by ‘spirits’ as woman is haunted

PESHAWAR:

The fake faith healer story of Peshawar has taken yet another turn as police finally located the victim and her husband and claimed that the faith healer saga is completely baseless.

Talking to media the husband claimed that the nail was actually struck by ‘spirits’ as the woman is haunted, causing further confusion. He said that his children witnessed it.

The woman turned out to be an Afghan refugee who has been living in the Faqirabad area of the city and is the second wife of her husband.

Addressing a press conference at Malik Saad Police Lines in Peshawar Thursday, SSP Operation Haroon Rashid said that the woman is already mother of three including two sons, so the social media rumours are baseless.

“The husband of the woman told police that she has psychological issues and she injured herself several times before,” claimed the SSP.

He, however, didn’t throw light on the issue of a nail struck deep inside the skull of the victim which led to her brief hospitalisation and caused a public outcry on social media. Her pictures made rounds on social media platforms in which it was rumoured that a fake faith healer had hit the nail in the skull of the poor woman claiming that it would grant her a male child. Another rumor claimed that the family hammered the nail on the instruction of a faith healer because she was considered possessed.

The victim was, however, rushed to Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) when her condition deteriorated but two men who brought her to the hospital registered her under a fake name at the health facility, making the whole episode more mysterious as no record was left behind.

“Taking into account the stance of the husband it has been decided that the couple will be examined by expert psychiatrists and the husband has been also included in the investigation so that police could reach the bottom of the story,” he said.

The husband and his children were produced before the media and police claimed that the faith healer story is totally baseless.

It may be recalled that at the hospital the victim changed her statements. Once she claimed that the nail was struck so that she could have a male child. She was rushed away after from LRH after first aid by the family members on February 4. Police opened an inquiry in the case on February 8.

Despite the press conference the story is shrouded in mystery.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2022.