Police on Wednesday denied having detained engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza after a FAR was filed against the religious researcher for blasphemy of the accusations for a complaint filed before his so-called arrest.
Until Tuesday, the Punjab police argued that the Clerc was not in a state of arrest and had been taken in “preventive guard” given the threats of secret violence under article 3 of the order of public order (MPO). Police had insisted that there was no criminal accusation against the engineer.
However, later that day, a blasphemy case was filed against the engineer Mirza under article 295-C of the Pakistan Criminal Code (PPC) and article 11 of the 2016 Crimes Prevention Act (PECA).
Article 295-C of the PPC stipulates that anyone, whether spoken or written, who makes derogatory remarks on the Holy Prophet (PSL) will be punished with death and will also be condemned to a fine.
Article 11 of the PECA concerns the preparation and propagation of all information through any vertical which motivates interconfessional, sectarian or racial hatred must be punished with imprisonment for a period up to seven years and / also a fine.
Read: Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza held a “preventive detention”
Mirza was arrested by Jhelum police under article 3 of the MPO on Monday. Under article 3 of the MPO, the authorities have the power to arrest and have suspects to prevent “anyone from acting in any case harmful to public security” or to maintain public order.
According to the FIR, tabled on Tuesday evening at the Jhelum City police station, the complainant alleged that there was an incriminating video of Mirza circulating online which is disrespectful towards the Holy Prophet (PSL). The complainant also accused the Clerk of making incorrect declarations when he refers to Surah Al-Nisa in said video, also published on the Mirza YouTube channel.
The Mirza YouTube channel has more than three million sub-responsibilities. He also runs a center, the Koran-O-Sunnat Research Academy, which was also closed by the police.
Mirza was accused of blasphemy in 2023. He was accused of having insulted the Holy Prophet (PSL) and to minimize the non -Muslim status of Ahmadis. The charges were then abandoned.
The laws on blasphemy has long been a controversial question in Pakistan, with repeated calls so that the state limits their abusive use.
