Magic con artists prey upon Punjab’s simple folks

Intelligence agency report identifies 264 illegal cases across province; says majority of victims women.

LAHORE:

Pakistan is no stranger to black magic, witchcraft and wizardry.

Spread across the vast pastures of Punjab, many have experienced spiritual journeys, caught a glimpse of the unseen, fought the ‘other’ and experienced the unknown — but there is always a medium.

The most common mediums, especially in rural Punjab, identify themselves as black magicians, palmists or astrologists. While this so-called ‘transcendental phenomenon’ continues to engulf many across the country, authorities have become alert lately.

A recent intelligence agency report has revealed that as many as 264 self-proclaimed black magicians, palmists and astrologists are currently running fake businesses across Punjab to swindle large sums of money — mostly from the uneducated segment of rural Punjab.

The report, which has been forwarded to the inspector general of Punjab police by the province’s home department, asserts that a majority of the victims of such scams are women — who are often misled into trading their gold ornaments, cash and other valuable household items.

Authorities across the province have been informed that these ‘facilitators’ embezzle money from their clients on the pretext of curing multiple physical, psychological and spiritual maladies.

It was revealed that a majority of these facilitators are young men who mostly use SIM cards of various cellular companies, registering the SIM with pseudonyms as a precaution. These facilitators remain on-the-go to avoid any action against them and usually disappear from one place to another after committing frauds.

However, the report added that they very openly advertise themselves through pamphlet circulation, graffiti paintings and wall chalking in local communities and villages.

The intelligence report has suggested to the Punjab government as well as the provincial police to take strict legal action against such “illegal elements before they succeed in swindling more innocent people”.

According to finer details obtained through a survey carried out by an intelligence agency, Faisalabad tops the list of districts with largest illegal businesses with 40 reported facilitators. District Jhang has 38 such facilitators operating illegally while district Sargodha has 22.

As many as 15 of them were found in Gujranwala district and an equal number in Pakpattan district.

There are 17 such cases in Chakwal, 13 in Kasur, eight each in Muzafargarh, Bahawalpur and Toba Tek Singh, as many as 11 each in Lahore and Sahiwal, nine in Jhelum, seven each in district Vehari and Rahim Yar Khan.

As many as six such cases were found in Chiniot and Multan each, five in district Sheikhupura, four in Bahawalnagar, three in Attok, one each in districr Nankana Sahib, district Layyah and Dera Ghazi Khan and two each in Okara and Khanewal.

After receiving this report, Punjab’s Home Department has forwarded it to Punjab’s IGP, capital city police officer Lahore, all regional police officers, city police officers and district police officers for immediate legal action.

Edited by Musab Memon

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2012.