ISLAMABAD – YouTuber and controversial self-acclaimed cleric Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza has been arrested under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ina midnight action by Jhelum police.
Jhelum police stormed his academy in Machine Mohalla, taking Mirza into custody amid heightened security before shifting him under strict guard to Jhelum District Jail.
The arrest, ordered directly by the Deputy Commissioner Jhelum, invoked the powerful MPO law that allows preventive detention in the name of safeguarding public order.
Moments after Mirza’s detention, his academy was sealed shut, with all gatherings and activities banned on the premises. Authorities claim the clampdown is part of a wider crackdown and intense scrutiny of religious institutions across the district.
The sudden action has sparked heated debate, with supporters calling it an attack on free speech, while officials defend it as a “necessary step” to maintain peace.
Mirza is a mechanical engineer but gained prominence for his lectures and discussions on religious issues. He has often found himself surrounded by controversy, most notably a blasphemy-related case.
YouTuber was previously detained by the authorities in 2020 over blasphemy allegations, but was later released.
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