Yes — Like People Everywhere in the World

Yes, many Pakistanis hold various superstitions, just as people do in virtually every culture and country around the world. From the West’s black cats and broken mirrors to East Asia’s unlucky numbers, superstitions are a universal human phenomenon, and Pakistan is no exception. Pakistani superstitions are a colorful mix drawn from regional folk traditions, South Asian cultural heritage shared with neighboring countries, and various local customs that have been passed down through generations. These beliefs are woven into everyday life, conversations, and decisions for many people, though the degree to which individuals take them seriously varies enormously.

It’s worth noting that superstitions are distinct from religious belief, even though the two sometimes get mixed together in popular practice. Mainstream Islamic teaching actually discourages superstition and belief in omens, emphasizing reliance on God rather than lucky charms or signs. So many religiously observant Pakistanis consciously reject superstitions as contrary to their faith, while others continue to follow cultural superstitions out of habit, tradition, or “just in case,” sometimes without much deep belief behind them.

The Evil Eye (Nazar)

Perhaps the most widespread belief across Pakistan is the concept of “nazar” — the evil eye. This is the idea that excessive admiration, envy, or jealousy from others (sometimes even unintentional) can bring harm, bad luck, or misfortune to a person, especially to babies, children, beautiful things, or anyone enjoying good fortune. Belief in nazar is extremely common and cuts across social classes, education levels, and regions, making it one of the most deeply embedded beliefs in Pakistani culture.

To protect against nazar, people use various methods: hanging black cloth or a black dot (kala teeka) on babies, attaching black ribbons or special charms to vehicles, hanging chili-and-lemon strings (called “totka”) on shops and businesses, reciting prayers, and burning rue seeds (isband or harmal) whose smoke is believed to ward off the evil eye. Interestingly, the concept of protecting against envy and the evil eye also has some basis in Islamic tradition (where seeking refuge in God from envy is mentioned), which is part of why this particular belief is so widely held even among religious people, blurring the line between religious practice and folk superstition.

Everyday Superstitions

Beyond nazar, Pakistani daily life features many smaller superstitions. Some common ones include: the belief that an itching palm means money is coming (right hand) or going (left hand); that a twitching eye signals good or bad news; that spilling salt brings bad luck; that cutting nails or hair after sunset (or on certain days) is inauspicious; that a crow cawing near the house signals the arrival of guests; and that handing someone scissors or sharp objects directly (rather than placing them down) can cause a quarrel.

There are also superstitions around specific actions and timings: many people consider it unlucky to start a journey when someone sneezes just as you’re leaving (some will pause briefly before setting off), and certain days or times are considered more or less auspicious for important activities like weddings, moving into a new home, or starting a business. While some take these seriously, many Pakistanis treat them lightly — following them out of habit or to humor older family members rather than from deep conviction.

Beliefs Around Weddings and Babies

Major life events like weddings and the birth of children attract a particularly rich set of customs and superstitions. At weddings, there are various traditions believed to bring good luck to the couple, and certain practices are followed to protect the bride and groom from the evil eye or misfortune. Some families consult about auspicious dates for the wedding, and there are customs around what colors to wear or avoid, and various rituals believed to ensure a happy and prosperous marriage.

Around newborn babies, protective superstitions are especially common, reflecting the deep cultural concern for protecting vulnerable infants. Beyond the black dot to ward off nazar, there may be customs around not praising a baby too openly (to avoid attracting the evil eye), specific traditions for the baby’s early days, and various folk practices believed to ensure the child’s health and wellbeing. These customs blend genuine cultural tradition with superstition and, in some cases, religious practice, making them a fascinating mix that varies from family to family and region to region.

How Seriously Do People Take Them?

The degree of belief in superstitions varies enormously across Pakistani society, influenced by factors like education, urban versus rural background, religious orientation, and individual personality. In more rural areas and among older generations, some superstitions may be taken quite seriously and genuinely influence decisions. In urban, educated, and younger circles, many of the same superstitions are known but often treated more as cultural quirks, jokes, or harmless customs followed casually rather than firmly believed.

A very common middle position is the “I don’t really believe it, but why take the risk?” attitude — where someone might follow a superstition (like getting a black dot put on their baby or burning isband) not out of strong conviction but as a cultural habit, to respect elders’ wishes, or for a vague sense of “just in case.” This pragmatic, lighthearted relationship with superstition is probably the most common stance among many Pakistanis, sitting between firm belief and complete dismissal.

The Concern: When Superstition Causes Harm

While most superstitions are harmless cultural customs, there’s a more serious side worth acknowledging. Some people, particularly when facing difficult problems like illness, infertility, financial trouble, or relationship issues, may turn to so-called “spiritual healers,” fake “aamils,” or fortune-tellers who exploit superstition and desperation for money, sometimes giving harmful advice or discouraging people from seeking proper medical or practical help. This exploitation of superstitious belief is a genuine social problem, and mainstream religious scholars and educated voices in Pakistan regularly warn against fraudsters who prey on vulnerable people through false spiritual claims.

It’s important to distinguish between harmless cultural superstitions (like a black dot on a baby or a chili-lemon string on a shop) and harmful exploitation (like a fraudster charging huge sums to “cure” an illness with fake spiritual remedies instead of medicine). The former is part of cultural color; the latter is a real concern that educated Pakistanis and religious authorities actively discourage, emphasizing proper medical care and rational decision-making alongside genuine faith.

The Bottom Line

So, do Pakistanis believe in superstitions? Yes, many do — just like people in cultures all over the world — with beliefs ranging from the very widespread concept of nazar (the evil eye) to countless smaller everyday superstitions about itching palms, twitching eyes, lucky and unlucky days, and customs around weddings and babies. These beliefs come from a rich blend of South Asian folk traditions and regional customs passed down through generations. However, how seriously people take them varies enormously: some genuinely believe, many follow them casually as cultural habits, and others — particularly more religiously observant or highly educated Pakistanis — consciously reject superstition, noting that mainstream Islam discourages belief in omens. Most superstitions are harmless cultural color, though the exploitation of superstitious belief by fraudsters is a real concern that educated and religious voices actively warn against. In short, superstition is a real and colorful part of Pakistani culture, held with widely varying degrees of seriousness across the diverse population.

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