Pakistan’s war on ‘wizards’

Aiysha, a spiritual healer who opposes new government regulation, in Lahore, Pakistan. Spiritual practitioners fear legislation that imposes prison time for vaguely defined occult services could cast a wide net. — Saiyna Bashir/The New York Times

THE curtain glows under ceiling lights, and a soft cream-coloured screen guards the privacy of clients who slip inside.

On a glass panel by the door, bold white letters offer quiet assurance: Shahbaz, Astrologer & Palmist.