Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza held in 'preventative detention'

Religious scholar taken into custody in view of sectarian violence threats, say police

Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza was taken into 'preventative custody' from his academy in Jhelum, police said on Tuesday, a day after reports of his arrest surfaced. 

According to Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Meesam Abbas and District Police Officer Ahmed Mohiyuddin, Mirza’s was detained under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order ordinance.

Under Section 3 of the MPO, the authorities have the power to arrest and detain suspects to prevent “any person from acting in any manner prejudicial to public safety” or to maintain public order.

The police clarified that this so-called arrest stands as "preventative detention” and no criminal charge has been levied against him.

According to Punjab Police, statements made by Mirza in a certain viral video could cause sectarian violence, making his detention under the MPO “inevitable”.

He's being detained for 30 days on the orders of Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Syed Maysam Abbas, according to district police. Mirza’s "Islamic Academy" in Jhelum has also been sealed, added police. 

The Express Tribune was able to contact some acquaintances of Mirza, who stated that Mirza had agreed to go into custody if it meant avoiding violence.

Read: Religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza arrested in Jhelum

Details regarding the case are scarce but what we do know is that on Sunday, a group of religious figures met the Jhelum deputy commissioner and submitted a written complaint demanding action against “controversial statements” Mirza made in said video.

Mirza’s first run-in with the law was in May of 2020, when he was charged on allegations of making derogatory comments about other religious scholars. He was later released on bail.

In 2023, Mirza found himself embroiled in yet another controversy with a blasphemy charge was filed against him in April of that year.

Mirza has survived three assassination attempts in 2019, 2021, and 2023. In 2023, a madrasa student barged into Mirza’s Research academy armed with a knife. Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) had also offered a bounty of Rs500,000 on Mirza’s head.