A Rawal Pindi Court on Friday awarded the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) a seven-day physical custody of engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza Jehlami, a controversial religious scholar, in a high-profile blasphemy case.
According to Express News, senior civilian judge Waqar Hussain Gondal awarded the detention after the FIA produced the defendants under strict security at Rawalpindi District Courts.
The court ordered the FIA to end the interrogations and present the defendant again on September 19. Following the court’s order, the FIA team left with the defendant to continue their investigation.
Mirza was originally detained last month by the Jhelum police in accordance with section 3 of the maintenance of public order (MPO). He was later moved to prison before being handed over to the FIA after the registration of a blasphemy case.
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FIR, filed at the Jhelum City police station, claims that a video circulating online-uprightfully sent to Mirza’s YouTube channel holds blasphemous remarks about the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and a mistaken interpretation of Surah al-Nisa. The complainant claims that the video is offensive and contrary to Pakistan’s strict blasphemous laws.
The case includes taxes under section 295-C of Pakistan Criminal Code (PPC), which requires the death penalty to occupy the name of the Prophet (PBUH) and section 11 of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (PECA) 2016, which is targeted at content that is taught to sectarian or interreligious hat.
Section 295-C of PPC states that “the one, whether spoken or written or by visible representation or by imputation, induendo or insinuation, directly or indirectly, possesses the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is punished with death and must be exposed to fine”.
Section 11 of the PECA relates to the preparation and spread of any information through any vertical that motivates interreligion, sectarian or racial hatred, is punished by imprisonment for a period of seven years and or a fine.
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Mirza is a well-known online character with over three million YouTube subscribers. He also leads the Qur’an-O-Sunnat Research Academy in Jhelum, which has now been sealed by local authorities. No official reason has been given for the move.
This is not the first time Mirza faces such claims. In May 2020, when he was indicted for accusations of making derogatory comments about other religious scholars. He was later released against bail.
He was indicted for blasphemy in 2023 for comments about the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and his perceived attitude towards the Ahmadi community. These charges were ultimately placed.
Blasphemy is still one of the most sensitive and controversial issues in Pakistan, where human rights organizations regularly urge the government to prevent the exploitation of these laws for personal or political gain.
