Attempted murder case filed over attack on Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza

WEB DESK: A case has been registered against a young man accused of attacking religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza in Jhelum, police said on Sunday.

According to officials, the suspect has been booked under charges of attempted murder following the alleged assault. Law enforcement authorities confirmed that the accused has been taken into custody and an investigation is under way.

Further details about the circumstances surrounding the incident have yet to be released.

LHC grants bail to Muhammad Ali Mirza in blasphemy case

Last year, Mirza, who was arrested on August 26 under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order, 1960, was released on bail against two surety bonds of Rs5 lakh each after the High Court suspended the Sessions Court’s earlier decision, citing proper consideration of submitted documents and facts.

Who is Muhammad Ali Mirza?

Known for his calm demeanor and soft-spoken style, Mirza is a prominent Pakistani religious scholar with a reputation for non-traditional views. He was previously arrested in May 2020 on similar allegations but was later released. Over the years, he has survived multiple assassination attempts, including a knife attack in March 2021 and an earlier attempt in 2017.

Hailing from Jhelum, Mirza conducts lectures at his madrassa and engages with public questions through his YouTube channel, which hosts over 2,471 videos with more than 3.1 million subscribers. Coming from a middle-class background, he maintains independence from religious and political groups, identifies as sect-neutral, and describes himself as “a Muslim, scholarly and rational.”

Mirza’s rational and unifying approach often draws criticism from various sects, yet his large following reflects his influence and the appeal of his reasoned discourse on Islam.