‘Faith healer’ burns woman during ‘treatment’

Victim shifted to Allied Hospital in critical condition

KURIANWALA:

A 28-year-old woman suffered some serious burn injuries while she had been under the supervision of a female faith healer who was supposed to cure the victim, police said.

They said that the incident occurred in the area of Ghulam Muhammadabad.

The woman was shifted to the Allied Hospital in a critical condition while the faith healer, along with her accomplices, fled in order to evade arrest, police added.

Taking notice of the incident, the city police officer registered a case against the accused and formed teams under the leadership of the SP of Lyallpur Town to arrest them.

The teams were conducting raids in various districts for the arrest of the accused.

In the case registered with the police by Waseem Shehbaz, a resident of Street No. 29, Mohalla Rasulpura, it was stated that his 28-year-old sister was “mentally weak and her physical condition was bad”.

When the accused was asked about some treatment, he said that his mother-in-law, Shamim Bibi, a resident of Jhang, had had extensive experience in practicing black magic.

The accused advised the brother of the victim to get his sister examined by Shamim Bibi.

Waseem Shehbaz was allegedly told that Shamim Bibi was an elderly person and thus she knew how to cure his sister.

“I believe in what he [the accused] said and took my sister to the residence of Shamim Bibi,” said the complainant.

He alleged that the faith healer, along with Aliya, wife of Chaman, and Zareena, wife of Dilawar, put hot iron rods on my sister’s leg which made her physically ill.

The accused Shamim Bibi allegedly said that there was someone with very strong power who had possessed the women, the complainant told the police.

The complainant told the police that Shamim Bibi allegedly told him to not to worry, and that she would “fix it up” with charcoal smoke the following day.

Waseem Shehbaz told the police that he felt assured by Shamim Bibi’s words.

“The accused Shamim Bibi called my sister along with Zareena Bibi to her house where after ordering coal, she lit fire and sent us all out of the room and put my sister’s face in the burning coals, due to which my sister’s face, eyes and chest were burnt and she became unconscious due to severe pain. We immediately took her to the hospital,” said the complainant.

Waseem Shehbaz said that the faith healer allegedly asked them not to talk to anyone about the incident.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2022.