Pak arrests cleric Engineer Mirza. Here's why his remarks sparked outrage

Renowned Pakistani cleric-YouTuber Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza was arrested by the Jhelum police on Tuesday over alleged controversial remarks about the Prophet Muhammad.

Engineer Mirza, who has over 3.1 million YouTube followers, was detained for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance and later transferred to jail. The arrest of the cleric came after a religious group filed an application seeking legal action against him for allegedly controversial remarks that "went viral on social media", reported the Karachi-based Dawn.

Mirza, who is a resident of Jhelum City's Machine Mohallah, delivers lectures on religion and society through his YouTube channel. Known for his outspoken style, he has survived at least four assassination attempts, and has frequently stirred controversy.

In an interview clip, Engineer Mirza mentioned that another community referred to Prophet Muhammad by a certain name, and in doing so he repeated the same words. By repeating what they said, Engineer Mirza sparked controversy, which reportedly led to his arrest after various religious groups filed complaints against him.

Engineer Mirza is among Pakistan's top religious clerics and commands a large following, both online and offline.

Section 3 of the MPO, under which Engineer Mirza was arrested, gives authorities the power to arrest and detain suspected persons to prevent "any person from acting in any manner prejudicial to public safety" or to maintain public order, reported the Islamabad-based Such TV.

The Pakistan MPO, which was originally enacted in 1960, allows for preventive detention and restrictions on speech and publications to maintain public order, which critics, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty , have argued to be vague and abusive.

"The MPO is a weapon more than a legal instrument, for governments to use at their will, against anyone who opposes the status quo," noted Pakistani barrister Mohammad Shakir Raza Rizvi in a piece in the Lahore-based The Friday Times.

Reacting to the arrest, Lahore-based lawyer J Sajjal Shaheedi argued that the move was less about maintaining public order and more about silencing independent voices.

"The arrest of Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza is not about public order. It is about silencing independent voices who dare to question sectarian clergy and challenge the monopoly of state-approved lapdogs. Meanwhile, violent mobs like TLP, who block highways, attack police, and hold the state hostage are coddled, unbanned, and quietly paid off This selective justice is why Pakistan is stuck in perpetual chaos," Sajjal Shaheedi wrote on X.

MANY CONTROVERSIES OF ENGINEER MIRZA

This is not the first time Engineer Mirza has courted a controversy.

Mirza's views on Mu'awiya I, the first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate, made him a controversial figure among traditionalist Sunni Muslim scholars of Pakistan. He had a long-standing rivalry with Deobandi scholar Tariq Masood over interpretations regarding Mu'awiya. Mirza challenged Masood to a face-to-face debate in Jhelum in May 2021. The debate was initially postponed as Masood did not appear. Months later, Masood accepted the challenge and travelled from Karachi to Jhelum for the debate, but claimed he could not contact Mirza.

After the event, Mufti Tariq Masood declared victory, and people viewed the episode as a public defeat for Mirza.

In November 2023, Mirza declined a scheduled debate with Barelvi scholar Mufti Hanif Qureshi in Jhelum, where access and recording were restricted, leading Qureshi to leave and self-declare victory.

In April 2023, a blasphemy case was registered against Ali Mirza under Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code. The charges alleged that he insulted Prophet Muhammad and that he downplayed the Pakistani legal ruling that considers Ahmadis non-Muslims.

During Muharram in 2024, Mirza was also among 17 clerics whose speeches were banned by then-Jhelum DC to prevent any potential sectarian violence.

In 2021, Engineer Mirza survived an assassination attempt at a religious academy.

In 2020, Mirza was booked and arrested by the Jhelum police for derogatory remarks against some religious figures.

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