Captions
A pir is seen while he is running a ritual outside his shrine in Sindh´s province. Pakistan. March 13th, 2012. Diego Ibarra Sánchez / MeMo
According to the local beliefs the mental illness is labeled as being possessed by an evil spirit known as "Jinn"Self-proclaimed exorcists thrive on these beliefs. They claim special powers from God which enable them to help peopleSuch beliefs are widespread in rural Pakistan, where the majority are illiterate and conventional health care is limited, and more people are turning to faith healers, also known as pirs, to cure them,the belief is that the spirits have got a hold of them, someone has cast a spell on him, or he is being punished for a wrong deed he committed earlieThere are thousands of pirs across Pakistan who promote black magic and superstitious rituals. And while genuine pirs are the descendants of Sufi Islam scholars, there are a growing number of fake healers, accused of exploiting their followers and encouraging them into darker exploits