LAHORE: Cleric and social media personality Muhammad Ali Mirza, who was detained under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance for alleged controversial remarks a day earlier, has been charged with allegedly committing blasphemy.

The arrest was made following an application from a religious group, requesting legal action against the cleric for alleged remarks that “went viral on social media”.

Separately, a first information report (FIR) was registered at the Jhelum city police station on Aug 26 under Section 295 C (use of derogatory remarks, etc, in respect of the Holy Prophet) of the Pakistan Penal Code, as well as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016.

The FIR claimed that during one of his broadcasts, Mirza made a reference which was construed as being an affront to the dignity of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).

Mirza has gained popularity through his religious lectures and speeches, and has amassed over three million followers on his YouTube channel.

He survived an assassination attempt at a religious academy in March 2021, and was also booked by the Jhelum police in May 2020 for alleged derogatory remarks against some religious figures. However, he was later released on bail.

Published in Dawn, August 27th, 2025