GUJAR KHAN: Religious scholar Engineer Mohammad Ali Mirza was attacked in his academy in the Jhelum city on Sunday evening.

Mohammad Kashif Qureshi, a member of the academy and resident of Machine Mohalla Jhelum, reported to the police that after culmination of the routine lecture session some of the audience were making selfies with Engineer Mirza when a young man identified as Mohammad Asim, resident of Khoopatan Kalan, tehsil Abbotabad, made a physical assault on the scholar and threw away his turban and hit him with fists.

According to the complainant, people present on the scene protected the scholar and after getting hold of the suspect handed him over to the police.

District police officer Tariq Aziz Sindhu told Dawn that the police had arrested the alleged attacker and a case under section 324 of PPC was being registered against him.

The DPO said a four-tier security of police was being maintained at the academy of the Engineer Mirza. He added that police had repeatedly warned him against mixing up with strangers. The religious scholar is in the habit of disregarding the threat advisory issued to him by the police time and gain.

It is pertinent to mention that the Engineer Mirza was taken to safe custody under MPO by the deputy commissioner of Jhelum last year. Later, an activist of a banned religious outfit while alleging blasphemy got a case registered against Engineer Mirza after which he was sent to jail and bailed out recently.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2026