ISLAMABAD – Some relief for Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza as Rawalpindi bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) granted bail to YouTuber and cleric, who remained behind bars since late August.
Mirza, known for his firebrand speeches, remained at the center of a heated blasphemy controversy in recent months after his several clips triggered anger. Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan approved his release on the condition that Mirza submits two surety bonds of Rs5Lac each, stressing that the bail will only take effect once the bonds are formally deposited.
Mirza, who amassed over 30Lac subscribers, was held on August 26 under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) 1960. This section allows authorities to detain individuals to prevent actions deemed prejudicial to public safety or public order. In addition to the MPO charges, the cleric faces allegations under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
Authorities confirmed that Mirza was initially detained for 30 days under the MPO due to his allegedly controversial remarks, which quickly went viral online, sparking widespread outrage. A religious group had filed a formal complaint demanding legal action against him for statements that were deemed to have deeply hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims.
Mirza’s controversial past is equally turbulent. Some years back, he was arrested for making derogatory remarks against certain religious figures but was later released on bail. Last year, he was among 17 clerics whose speeches were banned during Muharram to prevent sectarian unrest.
The cleric also survived chilling assassination attempt in March 2021 at a religious academy in Jhelum, highlighting the volatile reactions his statements often provoke.
Amid legal tussle, Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) recently weighed in on the matter at the request of the cybercrime agency. While noting that some words could be acceptable if intended as a warning against wrongdoing, the council concluded that Mirza’s remarks did not fall into that category and recommended proceeding with legal action under the relevant laws.
