Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, a well-known Pakistani cleric and YouTuber with a massive following of over 3.1 million subscribers, was recently arrested in Jhelum over alleged blasphemous remarks that sparked widespread outrage. His arrest came after a religious group lodged complaints accusing him of making controversial references to Prophet Muhammad in one of his videos, a clip that quickly went viral across social media platforms.
Authorities confirmed that Mirza was detained under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance, which grants the state the power to detain individuals for up to 30 days to preserve public order and prevent threats to safety. Following his arrest, he was shifted to jail. The case against him is being framed around his remarks in which he repeated a name for the Prophet Muhammad that another community had originally used, a repetition that ignited fury among religious groups and ultimately led to legal action.
Mirza, a resident of Jhelum’s Machine Mohallah, has long been a polarizing figure in Pakistan’s religious landscape. Known for his outspoken lectures on religion and society, he has frequently challenged mainstream clerics and interpretations. His controversial stances and candid speech have repeatedly landed him in hot water, including multiple blasphemy accusations and at least four assassination attempts. Despite the risks, he has continued to draw millions of listeners both online and offline.
Critics of his latest arrest argue that it highlights Pakistan’s problematic use of the MPO. Human rights activists, lawyers, and civil society members have long warned that the MPO—originally enacted in 1960—has been exploited by governments as a tool of suppression rather than public safety. It has been described by groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as vague, arbitrary, and open to abuse. Pakistani barrister Mohammad Shakir Raza Rizvi even characterized it as “a weapon more than a legal instrument,” often misused to silence dissenters.
Echoing these criticisms, Lahore-based lawyer J Sajjal Shaheedi claimed Mirza’s arrest was not about safeguarding public order but about silencing voices that challenge the sectarian status quo and resist the influence of state-backed clergy. She contrasted Mirza’s treatment with that of radical groups like Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), who have been known to block roads, clash with police, and cause national paralysis, yet are often appeased and left unpunished. This selective application of justice, she argued, perpetuates instability in Pakistan.
This incident adds to Mirza’s long history of controversies. He has faced sharp criticism for his views on Mu’awiya I, the first caliph of the Umayyad dynasty, which led to heated disputes with prominent Sunni scholars, especially Deobandi cleric Tariq Masood. A highly publicized debate between the two was scheduled in Jhelum in 2021 but ended in confusion, with both sides later claiming victory. Similarly, in November 2023, Mirza declined to debate Barelvi scholar Mufti Hanif Qureshi, sparking further backlash.
In April 2023, Mirza was booked under Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code for alleged blasphemy and for remarks perceived as sympathetic toward Ahmadis, who are constitutionally declared non-Muslims in Pakistan. During Muharram in 2024, he was among 17 clerics banned from delivering speeches in Jhelum to prevent sectarian unrest. His clashes with different sectarian groups, coupled with assassination attempts in 2021 and legal troubles in 2020, cement his reputation as one of the most controversial religious figures in the country.
The arrest of Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza once again underlines the volatile intersection of religion, politics, and law in Pakistan. It raises questions about freedom of expression, the use of blasphemy laws, and the state’s selective enforcement of order, leaving Mirza’s supporters and critics deeply divided over whether he is a reformist truth-teller or a provocateur endangering public harmony.
