Pregnant Pak woman gets nail hammered on head to deliver boy

Peshawar: A pregnant woman in Pakistan approached a hospital here with a nail hammered into her head on Wednesday. She said that a faith healer did it to her, promising that the nail act would guarantee her giving birth to a boy, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported, citing a doctor here.

The woman arrived at the hospital in the northwestern city of Peshawar after trying to extract the nail herself with pliers, doctor Haider Khan told AFP. The woman was under severe pain but was conscious, he said. Khan removed the nail from her head.

The mother of three daughters said she was pregnant with another girl, the doctor added.

According to the doctor, the woman was also a mother to three daughters and was pregnant again with another girl. He added that the nail slightly missed her brain though pierced the top of her forehead. A hammer or a heavy object is used to hammer it in.

She at first told the hospital authorities that she did it to herself on the healer's bid but later admitted that the healer did it to her.

Peshawar police are on the healer's trail. They have collected CCTV footage from the hospital and expects to find the woman and question her, police told AFP. The healer will also be caught soon, police said.

Faith healers are common in Pakistan, with practices they claim rooted out of Sufism. These healers exploit many, and some sects of Islam does not approve of their practices. Also, there is a belief South Asia, sunk deep in many that a boy, instead of a girl, will provide better financial security, AFP reports.