Recent media reports indicate that religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza has been detained by the Jhelum City Police under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960. The arrest was carried out on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner of Jhelum, and Mirza has since been transferred to Jhelum District Jail for a period of 30 days.
The official rationale for the detention, as communicated by authorities, is to preserve public peace and order. The arrest follows a written complaint lodged by several religious groups and clerical delegations who met with district administration, pressing for action.
In addition, officials have sealed Mirza’s academy located in Machine Mohalla, Jhelum to prevent any gatherings or activities that could potentially disrupt stability.
Background context:
- Muhammad Ali Mirza is a prominent figure with over 3.1 million YouTube subscribers, known for his outspoken religious lectures and research academy based on his interpretation of the Quran and Sunnah.
- This is not his first arrest—he was previously detained in May 2020 under Section 153-A of the Pakistan Penal Code for allegedly offensive comments against certain religious scholars, though he was released shortly after on court orders.
- In March 2021, Mirza survived an assassination attempt at his academy, after which authorities detained a suspect and registered an attempted murder case.
