Jhelum, Pakistan – Religious scholar and speaker Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza has been detained in Jhelum under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), officials confirmed. The detention order was issued by the Jhelum deputy commissioner, citing concerns over potential public unrest. The MPO allows preventive custody for up to three months to maintain law and order.
According to journalist Ajmal Jami, the arrest followed one of Mirza’s recent online lectures in which he discussed references to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Christianity. The remarks triggered backlash after Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) leader Muhammad Asif Ashraf Jalali issued a fatwa accusing Mirza of blasphemy. The statement quickly spread across social media.
Jami noted that a Christian scholar, Tommy William, publicly rejected Mirza’s interpretation, clarifying that Christianity does not contain such references as Mirza claimed. He added that religious leaders have since demanded action, and authorities acted under MPO to prevent possible violence.
“Given the sensitivity of the issue and the potential for unrest, applying Section 3 of the MPO was the right decision,” Jami remarked in his YouTube video.
