Petition filed in SC against fake ‘spiritual healers’

• Dr Khaki demands for setting up regulator for spiritual, psychological treatment

In the wake of gruesome killing of 20 devotees by a shrine custodian in Sargodha earlier this month, Supreme Court Advocate Dr Aslam Khaki has filed an application with the Supreme Court of Pakistan for the establishment of a body for regulating practices of spiritual and psychological treatments by fake spiritual healers including ‘pirs, aamils’ and magicians of black magic.

The petition, copy available with Pakistan Today, focuses on the tragic event of Sargodha and pleads that since every type of treatment is regulated and kept a check on by a regulatory body like PMDC, Homeopathic Council and Tibb Counsel etc, hence the practices of spiritual treatment or black magic must also be regulated through licensing and supervised by the government to protect the lives as well as faiths of the innocent people.

He also said that the Press Council of Pakistan and PEMRA may also be directed to ban any programme or advertisement for such spiritual treatment except by a petitioner duly authorised by the government authority. In the end, the petitioner prays that the Supreme Court direct the government to legislate on the subject for regulating the practice of psychological or spiritual treatment by any person.

Furthermore, the petition asked that PEMRA be directed to issue instructions to TV channels to abstain from telecasting any programme or advertisement that promotes such type of treatment, practices and malpractice. Furthermore, the Supreme Court may order the Press Council of Pakistan to issue directions to restrain all print media to neither print nor advertise any such spiritual treatment or practice by any one.

While talking to Pakistan Today, Dr Khaki said that he had been vocal about the menace of fake pirs and aamils all his life and been trying to weed out this practice from the society. “These fake ‘healers’ not only misguide innocent people but also endanger their lives and limbs. Under Article 2-A, the state is bound to provide an environment that enables the Muslim citizens of Pakistan to live their lives in accordance with Islam, the spiritual treatment by fake pirs and aamils deny them this right,” he said.