Pakistan police looking for faith healer who instructed woman to hammer nail into her head for a male child

The police have identified the woman and her husband

Peshawar police have launched a manhunt to trace the faith healer responsible for hammering a nail in a pregnant woman’s head ( Twitter/ Capital City Police Peshawar)

Pakistan police have launched a manhunt for a faith healer who allegedly instructed a pregnant woman in her first trimester to hammer a nail into her head to confirm the birth of a baby boy.

The probe began on Tuesday after an x-ray image of the woman went viral on social media. The woman arrived at a hospital in Peshawar city with a 5cm nail hammered into her head and allegedly informed doctors that she carried out the act herself.

Later, the mother of three daughters revealed that a faith healer was responsible for the ghastly act. The woman's husband allegedly threatened to leave her if she gave birth to a fourth girl.

Peshawar police on Thursday said that authorities have identified the woman and her husband.

"The woman's mental health doesn't look stable and she is undergoing medical examination. The victim and her husband have decided to undergo a medical check-up by a psychiatric doctor," police said.

Her husband has also been included in the investigation.

Peshawar police chief Abbas Ahsan announced that a special team has been set up to bring the man "to justice" who "played with the life of an innocent woman".

Mr Ahsan added: "The team will also investigate why the incident was not reported to police by the treating doctor".

According to the staff at the hospital, the woman was bleeding and was given first aid before being taken to the operation theatre.

Dr Haider Suleman, the resident neurosurgeon, told Dawn, that the nail had penetrated deep within the woman's skull and the family had made attempts to remove the nail at home but failed.

"She said that a woman in her locality did the same [hammered a nail] and gave birth to a boy even though the ultrasound had shown her unborn child to be a girl," the doctor said.

The woman, fearing her husband, allegedly went to the faith healer who allegedly gave her a taweez (amulet), things to recite, and the nail.

"The victim then returned home and hammered the nail in her head. She was discovered by family members after she screamed in pain and was shifted to the hospital," staff said.