JHELUM: A day after the arrest of cleric and self-styled religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, authorities in Jhelum revealed a first information report (FIR) registered against him under the blasphemy law.
Mirza was taken into custody late Monday night. His academy, located in Machine Muhalla, Jhelum, was also sealed.
Following his arrest, speculation spread that Mirza had been detained by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) over a controversial religious statement.
There were also reports suggesting that he had been held under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) on the orders of Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Syed Maysam Abbas.
However, the FIR has now surfaced, clarifying the grounds of his arrest.
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The complaint was filed by Huamir Ali Qadri, a member of Aalmi Tanzeem Ahl-e-Sunnat, at the City Jhelum Police Station on August 26.
Qadri alleged that on August 24 he came across a video clip of Mirza circulating on Facebook in which the cleric allegedly used derogatory words against the Holy Prophet (PBUH), including remarks that linked the Prophet (PBUH) with the word “Dajjal.”
The complainant stated that Mirza’s comments had deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims and caused widespread distress.
The FIR was registered under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (blasphemy law) and Section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016.
Section 295-C prohibits use of derogatory remarks in respect of the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
According to the text of the law: “Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.”
The application further requested strict legal action against Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza.
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Police confirmed that the case has been forwarded for investigation under the supervision of the district investigation officer.
Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza is known for delivering online lectures on a wide range of social and religious topics.
With 3.1 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, this is not the first time Mirza has been arrested.
In May 2020, Jhelum police detained him under Section 153-A after an old controversial lecture went viral online. The section applies to individuals accused of hate speech or incitement. He was later released on court orders two days after his arrest.
Mirza also survived an attack in March 2021, when an unknown assailant attempted to stab him at his academy. The attacker was later arrested, while Mirza sustained minor injuries.