LAHORE: The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi bench approved the bail of cleric Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza on Wednesday in a blasphemy case registered against him in Jhelum.
Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan heard the petition and instructed Mirza to submit two surety bonds of Rs500,000 each. The court issued the order after examining the case record and listening to arguments from both sides. The judge further directed that the required sureties must be deposited before the bail officially comes into effect.
The blasphemy FIR had prompted Mirza to seek protective relief. He was arrested on August 26 and detained under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order, a provision that allows authorities to hold individuals to prevent actions deemed harmful to public safety or order.
Police confirmed that he faces charges under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act as well as Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Mirza, who has a significant online following with over three million YouTube subscribers and thousands of uploaded videos, previously survived a stabbing attack in 2021 during one of his weekly lectures.
