‘Scholar’ Er Muhammad Ali Mirza Arrested – Alfaaz – The Words

Srinagar: The Punjab Police in Pakistan have arrested ‘Islamic scholar’ and YouTuber Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza from his hometown Jhelum, multiple media reports said.

Mirza has been reportedly detained under Section III of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance and shifted to jail. The local authorities have cited “multiple complaints and grievances” filed against him as the reason for the action.

This is not the first instance of the preacher’s arrest. In May 2020, Mirza was booked over alleged hate speech but released shortly thereafter. A fresh case was also filed in 2023 under Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code relating to blasphemy charges.

Engineer Mirza, who holds a background in mechanical engineering and earlier served in government service, has built a following through his lectures and discussions on religion, history, and social issues on YouTube channel, which has thus far crossed three million subscribers.