It began with hope. Amna, a housewife from Satellite Town, Sargodha, longed to become a mother. A neighbour introduced her to a so-called spiritual healer who claimed to remove the "curse" blocking her from conceiving. Desperate, she paid over a hundred thousand rupees. He gave her taweez (amulets), strange instructions, and sowed mistrust against her in-laws.
Months later, after finally consulting a doctor, Amna conceivednaturally. The curse was never real. The only thing broken was her trust.
Stories like Amna's are common across Pakistan, where women, the elderly, and the emotionally vulnerable often fall victim to fraudulent "healers." Despite new laws, enforcement remains weak, and fake magicians continue to operate openly. From Islamabad to Rawalpindi, wall chalkings still advertise "lost love spells," "lottery unlocks," and "exam success." The promises vary, but the scam is the same: give hope, take money, vanish.
In a significant legal step, Pakistan has introduced Section 297A of the Penal Code, criminalising black magic, sorcery, and fake "spiritual services." Offenders now face six months to seven years in jail and fines of up to one million rupees. These offenses are non-bailable, underscoring the state's intent to act seriously.
Yet little has changed on the ground. Beyond the occasional removal of wall chalkings, fraudulent healers"Bengali babas," blood-taweez writers, and charm sellerscontinue to prey on the poor and desperate, knowing most victims stay silent out of shame or fear.
Their business has also gone digital. They now advertise in newspapers, magazines, television channels, and increasingly on social mediaposting videos, fake testimonials, and contact details for "online spiritual services."
Experts note that these scammers don't rely on magic but on psychology. Their methods target the emotionally vulnerable:
Love: offering spells to control partners. Health: claiming infertility is caused by curses only they can lift. Ambition: promising exam success or job offers through charms. Fear: inventing tales of "evil eyes" or "black shadows" to create dependency.
"Deception works not by making people stupid, but by making them hopeful," says social psychologist Dr Anthony Pratkanis.
The impact is devastating: victims lose not only money but also peace of mind, trust in loved ones, and confidence in themselves.
Hasan Mahmood, from Jhang, said: "A baba promised he'd 'open the way' for my marriage. I gave him thousands. Nothing happened. When I worked on myself instead, things fell into place. I realizedif you're not worthy of love, magic won't help; if you are, you don't need it."
Roy Dawood, a student, lamented: "Every day I still see wall chalkingssome claim to write spells in owl's blood, others call themselves 'Bengali baba.' It's shameful. It damages our image as a society."
Religious scholar Ghulam Muhammad cited the Holy Quran (Al-Baqarah, 2:102): "And indeed they knew that the buyers of magic would have no share in the Hereafter. And wretched is that for which they sold their souls, if they only knew." He stressed that such practices breed hatred, suspicion, and weaken society's fabric.
Lawyer Usman Farooq Dhudhi welcomed the new law but urged wider reforms: "Legislation is only a start. We need mass awareness through media, schools, and religious leaders. Strict enforcement is vitalban the ads, arrest repeat offenders, dismantle their networks. At the same time, mental health support must be expanded so people seek real help instead of magic."
Until then, black magic will continue to thrive in the shadowsfeeding on fear, superstition, and broken dreams.
Its power lies not in spells but in silence. When people speak out, seek genuine solutions, and demand accountability, the illusion shatters. The real strength lies in faith, knowledge, and couragenot in the hands of a fake healer.
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