Engr Muhammad Ali Mirza moved to Adiala Jail

RAWALPINDI: Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, a prominent religious scholar, was transferred to Adiala Jail on Thursday after being arrested in a blasphemy case. The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) completed the initial legal procedures and handed him over to jail authorities, as reported by Express News.

Sources disclosed that a case against Mirza was filed at the NCCIA’s Rawalpindi office, with charges of blasphemy and violations under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA). However, officials have not confirmed if additional charges will be added, as investigations continue.

Mirza was initially arrested by Jhelum police last month under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and later transferred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) after a formal complaint was registered. The complaint, filed at Jhelum City Police Station, accuses Mirza of making blasphemous comments in a video shared on his YouTube channel. The video allegedly contains offensive remarks about the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and misinterprets Surah al-Nisa, violating Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws.

The charges include Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which mandates the death penalty for defiling the name of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and Section 11 of PECA, which addresses content that incites sectarian or interfaith hate.

Mirza is a well-known online figure, with over three million YouTube subscribers. He also heads the Qur’an-o-Sunnat Research Academy in Jhelum, which has been sealed by local authorities. No official reason has been provided for this action.

This is not the first time Mirza has faced such allegations. In May 2020, he was charged for allegedly making derogatory remarks about other religious scholars, though he was later released on bail. In 2023, Mirza was also accused of blasphemy over comments related to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his views on the Ahmadi community, but those charges were eventually dropped.