A very gory incident was recently reported in media that a local shaman had burnt a woman's face in order to 'exorcise evil spirits'. This is not a solitary occurrence but numerous such instances of charlatans taking advantage of illiteracy and poverty take place every day in our country. People are swindled in the name of remedies but out of fear or shame do not report the matter to police or media. I had read only the other day about an incident at Khairpur Nathan Shah also where a ten-year-old boy, supposedly 'possessed' by a 'Jin', died because of torture inflicted by a Pir, 'the exorcist' who was trying to cure him. What a pity that even in 21st century, the quacks are still at loose on the people of this country to swindle our gullible masses. From getting a suitable match to getting a profitable employment, from getting the love of one's life to getting out evil spirits, our people still go to these Pirs or quacks, whichever they can afford. Shockingly, even big cities like Karachi and Lahore are not immune to these traders of mischief and death. Taking advantage of poverty, general state of illiteracy and the authorities' indifference to public exploitation, these Aamils and Pirs are prowling the land in their millions. -ALTAF HUSSAIN QURESHI, Hyderabad, July 10.