RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench has authorized the release of religious scholar and engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza after approving his bail in a blasphemy case filed in Jhelum.
Mirza had petitioned the court for bail, which was heard by Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan on December 3. During the proceedings, Mirza’s lawyer, Tahir Ayubi, presented arguments in support of his client’s request.
After considering the case, the court granted bail and ordered Mirza’s immediate release, stipulating that he must provide two surety bonds of Rs500,000 each. The court further directed that these sureties be deposited before the bail is finalized.
Following the court’s approval and the submission of the required sureties, Mirza was released earlier today from Adiala Jail.A First Information Report (FIR) related to blasphemy was registered against Mirza in Jhelum, which prompted his petition for protective custody and legal relief. He was detained on August 26 under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Ordinance, 1960, which allows authorities to arrest and detain individuals to prevent actions harmful to public safety.
The police confirmed that the charges against Mirza include provisions under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code.Mirza, a prominent figure with over 3.14 million subscribers on his YouTube channel featuring 2,400 videos, has been a controversial religious voice. Notably, in 2021, he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt when he was stabbed during one of his weekly lectures, resulting in injuries.
