Religious scholar engineer Mirza Muhammad Ali. Photo: Archive
The Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday approved the bail of religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza in a case alleging religious hatred and ordered his immediate release.
Justice Sadaqat Khan granted bail on the condition that Mirza submit two sureties worth Rs 500,000 each. The case was registered by the Cyber Crime Wing of the FIA, which accused him of insulting revered religious personalities.
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 submit the said document to the trial court, noting that the High Court would only consider arguments relevant 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 before the Lahore High Court challenging the FIA investigation. Filed through lawyer Nabeel Javed Kahlon, the petition names the FIA and the Punjab Quran Board as respondents.
Mirza maintains that the FIA launched an investigation without notifying him. It claims that the agency sent a social media video to the Punjab Quran Board for a fatwa. The petition claims that the Board found him guilty based on an old video, despite lacking the authority to issue religious decrees as its mandate is limited to overseeing the publication of the Quran.
He requests the court to annul the fatwa issued against him and order an end to the investigation.
Mirza was first arrested in August under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) Act 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 city police station, alleges that a video circulating online—originally posted on Mirza’s YouTube channel—contains blasphemous comments about the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and a misinterpretation of Sura al-Nisa. The author maintains that the video is offensive and violates Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.
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The case carries charges under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), which mandates the death penalty for desecrating the name of the Prophet (PBUH), and Section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016, which refers to content that incites sectarian or inter-religious hatred.
Section 295-C states that anyone who directly or indirectly desecrates the holy name of the Prophet (PBUH) will be punished with death and may also be punished with a fine. Article 11 of the PECA provides for prison sentences of up to seven years and a fine.
Mirza, a prominent online figure with over three million subscribers on YouTube, runs the Quran-o-Sunnat Research Academy in Jhelum. Local authorities had sealed off the facility, although no official reason was given.
