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World / Asia

Women strangle blackmailing Pakistan faith healer: Police

Published: 07 Apr 2025 - 02:42 pm | Last Updated: 07 Apr 2025 - 02:43 pm
Peninsula

AFP

Lahore, Pakistan: Two women have been arrested for murder after strangling a Pakistani faith healer with a scarf after years of being blackmailed over videos he took of them, police said on Monday.

The women told police they had turned to Riaz Hussain for help in removing black magic curses but he instead took compromising videos that he threatened to release.

"During the investigation it was found that Riaz Hussain had been sexually harassing women for a long time under the pretext of spiritual healing," police in the city of Multan in Punjab province said in a statement.

The women, with the help of their cousin and another man, strangled the faith healer with a scarf before dumping his body.

The four have been arrested for murder, police said, adding that a fifth man has also been arrested.

Faith healers are revered by some communities in Pakistan and their orders are followed devotedly, allowing for widespread exploitation.