JHELUM: Religious scholar and YouTube cleric Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza has been taken into preventive custody by Jhelum police for 30 days under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
According to Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Meesam Abbas and District Police Officer (DPO) Ahmed Mohiyuddin, the move was taken after a religious group filed a complaint alleging that Mirza made “controversial remarks” in a video interview that recently went viral on social media.
Under Section 3 of the MPO, authorities are empowered to detain individuals to prevent actions deemed prejudicial to public safety or likely to disturb public order. Police clarified that Mirza has not been charged with any criminal offence, stressing that the detention is purely a preventive measure.
Mirza’s Islamic Academy in Jhelum has also been sealed following the order.
Background of Tensions
Mirza, a resident of Machine Mohallah, Jhelum, is a mechanical engineer by profession and has built a wide following on social media, with over 3.1 million subscribers on YouTube, where he frequently uploads his religious lectures and debates.
He has often faced criticism and opposition from various religious groups for his outspoken views. Last year, during Muharram, his speeches were among those banned by the then-Jhelum deputy commissioner to curb potential sectarian unrest.
Mirza also has a history of legal and security troubles:
- In May 2020, he was arrested by Jhelum police on charges of making derogatory remarks about religious figures but later released on bail.
- In April 2023, he was booked under blasphemy charges following another controversy.
- He has survived multiple assassination attempts — in 2019, March 2021, and 2023. In the 2021 attack, a man armed with a knife stormed his academy but was subdued and arrested.
- In 2023, the hardline group Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) even announced a Rs500,000 bounty on his head.
Current Situation
Authorities maintain that Mirza’s latest detention was “inevitable” given the risk of his statements fueling sectarian tensions. Some of his acquaintances told media outlets that Mirza himself agreed to comply with the custody order if it meant preventing violence.
The situation remains tense, with public opinion sharply divided. His supporters have decried the move as an attack on free speech, while others argue it was a necessary step to preserve peace in the region.
