ISLAMABAD: In an interested development, Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Interior approved a bill aimed at introducing strict punishments for practitioners of black magic on Monday.
According to details, the bill proposes penalising the promoters, advertisers and practitioners of dark arts, aka black magic, mandating upto seven years in prison.
The bill also proposes that those individuals offering “spiritual healing” services must obtain an official license from the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Senator Faisal Saleem chaired the standing committee while the bill was introduced in the legislature by Senator Samina Zehri.
According to details, anyone engaging in black magic, occult rituals or even promoting these activities will face a minimum sentence of six months and a maximum of seven years in prison. They could also be fined upto Rs1 million.
Interestingly, the bill also stipulated that those individuals who pretend as spiritual healers but engage in black magic will face the same penalties. The bill recognised the spiritual healers that would be certified by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Proposed amendments to the Pakistan’s Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) would introduce Article 297-A.
It must be highlighted that supernatural incidents, black magic, or occult rituals hold significance in Pakistani society. The popular culture i.e., TV dramas and YouTube channels often depict the impact of black magic and sorcery on individuals as well. Therefore, the spells of black magic and witchcraft are widely believed in society.
Traditionally, black magic means using supernatural powers for sinful, selfish and wrong purposes to gain one’s objectives.
Witchcraft or black magic also hold religious significance as Quran also mentions the existence of “Sihr” which is forbidden in Islam.
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