Jhelum police said early on Tuesday that they have detained cleric Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza for 30 days under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance for alleged controversial remarks.Mirza, a resident of Machine Mohallah of Jhelum city, frequently uploads his lectures and speeches on his social media accounts and has amassed 3.1 million followers on his YouTube channel.

Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Meesam Abbas and District Police Officer (DPO) Ahmed Mohiyuddin confirmed Mirza’s arrest under MPO to Dawn.com.Section 3 of the MPO ordinance gives authorities the power to arrest and detain suspected persons to prevent “any person from acting in any manner prejudicial to public safety” or to maintain public order.A religious group had yesterday filed an application, seen by Dawn.

com, requesting legal action against Mirza for alleged controversial remarks made during an interview that “went viral on social media”.Mirza was also among 17 clerics whose speeches were banned by then-Jhelum DC during Muharram last year to prevent any potential sectarian violence.The popular cleric survived an assassination attempt at a religious academy in March 2021.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)