Exorcism has, over the years, emerged as a curse for the people of Pakistan, claiming precious lives in remote areas. Recently, Sangeeta, a pregnant lady from Badin belonging to the marginalized Kohli community, fell prey to a brutal ritual of exorcism. The false beliefs among the community, pertaining to the influence of evil forces, demons, and witches, led her in-laws to an exorcist who applied brutal methods in the garb of procedure to rid the 30-year-old lady of the evil forces. The grisly tactics of exorcists, also known as witch-doctors in common parlance, eventually rendered the lady breathless. More frightening was the fact that the cruel exorcist kept beating her with sticks even after she had breathed her last. This incident has not only attracted the attention of the common masses but also grabbed the attention of international media, raising grave concerns about the dispensation of human rights in Pakistan. Besides domestic violence, honour killing, and tribal feuds, exorcism is among the major causes behind the loss of precious human lives in deprived areas. During the past two decades, this predicament has started gaining ground in urban areas as well. When this author turned back the pages of history, he came to know that among the most notable cases of exorcism that jolted national media around 20 years ago was that of Kaneez Fatima, a 60-year-old lady, and her young son, who died at the hands of an exorcist while he was inflicting brutality. Kaneez Fatima was the elder sister of former provincial minister Dr. Muhammad Ali Shah, and the accused involved in the crime was later acquitted for want of evidence. In July last year, an exorcist was booked by the police in Sukkur after a 16-year-old lost his life after being beaten up by the exorcist. Daya Bheel of Sanghar district also met the same fate last year, about whom her relatives claimed that she wanted to be spiritually healed, for which she approached a faith healer and an exorcist who later ended her life. Among the most notable cases that jolted national media was that of Kaneez Fatima, a 60-year-old lady, and her young son, who died at the hands of an exorcist. Sharing the narrative of the accused booked by police in cases of exorcism, Inspector Muneer Abbasi says, “The exorcist, during interrogation, claims that the victims themselves approach them for exorcism;” adding that the majority of exorcists show no remorse for the offence they commit. Deputy Superintendent of Police Siraj ul Din Lashari proposes the enactment of a special law to curtail the influence of exorcists, bogus faith healers, and their facilitators. He further said that punishment should also be ordained for those who take people for exorcism. Dr Jamil Jonejo, one of the eminent psychiatrists of the country, revealed that those brought to faith healers and exorcists suffer from various psychological disorders. Still, instead of going for professional help, people resort to obsolete and harmful tactics that lead to the loss of life or physical impairment of a person. According to thorough research conducted by Advocate Mahjabeen Zulfiqar Ali of MASAWI, a human rights organization, most of the victims of exorcism were women dissatisfied with their marital lives. She further mentioned that a concrete policy was required to deter this menace. The trend of visiting faith healers and exorcists is not only practised here in Pakistan but also in other countries, mainly Japan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, and Nepal. Compared to Pakistan, laws to prevent such practices in other countries are strict. Social welfare organizations and other concerned organizations should undertake the responsibility of educating society about this predicament. Above all, the state should take a hard stance against the elements promoting such gruesome practices. The writer is a freelance columnist.