Engineer religious scholar Mirza Muhammad Ali. Photo: File
The Rawalpindi bench of the High Court on Wednesday approved the bail of religious engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza in a case alleging religious hatred, ordering his immediate release.
Justice Sadaqat Khan granted bail on the condition that Mirza submits two sureties worth Rs 500,000 each. The case was registered by the FIA Cyber Crime Wing, which accused him of insulting revered religious figures.
During the hearing, the FIA lawyer informed the court that a religious decree (fatwa) had been issued against Mirza, but the judge ordered the lawyer to file any such documents in the trial court, noting that the High Court would only consider arguments relating to bail. He observed that all evidence, details and religious decrees were matters for the trial court to evaluate.
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Meanwhile, Mirza filed a separate petition in the Lahore High Court challenging the FIA probe. Filed through advocate Nabeel Javed Kahlon, the petition names the FIA and the Punjab Quran Board as respondents.
Mirza claims the FIA opened an investigation without giving him any notice. He said the agency forwarded a video on social media to the Punjab Quran Board for a fatwa. The petition claims that the Council found him guilty based on an old video, although it does not have the power to issue a religious decree, its mandate limited to overseeing the publication of the Quran.
He asks the court to annul the fatwa pronounced against him and to order the closure of the investigation.
Mirza was first arrested in August under Section 3 of Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) by the Jhelum police. He was later transferred to prison before being handed over to the FIA following the registration of a blasphemy case.
The FIR, filed at the Jhelum town police station, claims that a video circulating online – initially posted on Mirza’s YouTube channel – contains blasphemous remarks against the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and a misinterpretation of Surah al-Nisa. The plaintiff claims the video is offensive and violates Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
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The case involves charges under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which provides for the death penalty for desecrating the name of the Prophet (PBUH), and Section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, which relates to content inciting sectarian or interfaith hatred.
Section 295-C states that anyone who directly or indirectly profanes the sacred name of the Prophet (PBUH) shall be punished with death and may also be liable to fine. Section 11 of PECA provides for a prison sentence of up to seven years and a fine.
Mirza, a prominent online personality with over three million subscribers on YouTube, runs the Quran-o-Sunnat Research Academy in Jhelum. The facility was sealed by local authorities, without any official reason being given.
