A man lies buried underneath his own house in Multan, in a 50 foot hole he dug searching for treasure. He did this, we are told, at the behest of a spiritual leader. An eleven year old girl is in hospital with her feet burnt because a local “pir” was using kerosene to ‘exorcise her demons.’ Her “delusional ramblings” which led to this, were later diagnosed by doctors as a symptom of typhoid. There are a plethora of cases like the ones above where so-called spiritual leaders have used their titles to manipulate those that follow them blindly. How many more people will be used as experiments by these men and women, before an end is put to their illegal and immoral practices?
In the ontology of “How To Become A Spiritual Leader,” most claim the title through ancestry and kinship. Others will proclaim their piety without proof of these genetic pools. The ignorance of the masses, either way, is exploited. There are no certificates of education or scholarship hanging in their “offices.” They exploit the poor and vulnerable, under the ever-convenient guise of religion and are then paid for it, usually in great sums of money or favours. There have also been reports of women being exploited sexually by local “spiritual leaders.” It is time these people are exposed for the frauds they truly are, ravaging the lives of gullible families. For this purpose, people must be duly educated and cautioned. In desperate times, as the state fails to protect their most basic rights, most will turn to any avenue available that confidently claims it can alleviate their poverty, disease and distress. As a result, more and more people are falling victim to the hoax of the spiritual guru. This trend must be dealt with seriously, before any more lives are destroyed.