LHC Grants Bail to Cleric Muhammad Ali Mirza in Blasphemy Case
A blasphemy FIR had been registered against Mirza in Jhelum, prompting him to seek protective relief.
RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench on Wednesday approved bail for religious cleric Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza in a pending blasphemy case.
Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan heard the bail petition and directed Mirza to furnish two surety bonds of Rs500,000 each. The court clarified that the sureties must be deposited before the bail takes effect. The order was issued after reviewing the case record and arguments from both sides.
A blasphemy FIR had been registered against Mirza in Jhelum, prompting him to seek protective relief. He was arrested on August 26 and placed in custody under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) 1960, which allows the government to detain individuals to prevent actions prejudicial to public safety or public order.
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The police confirmed that the charges also involve provisions under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code.
Mirza is a widely followed cleric with over 3.14 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, which hosts more than 2,400 videos. In 2021, he survived an assassination attempt when he was stabbed during one of his weekly lectures.
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