Pakistani Religious Scholar Detained on Blasphemy Charges

Religious leader and popular YouTuber Muhammad Ali Mirza was detained in Jhelum and later booked on blasphemy charges after a video clip from a recent interview went viral, Rabwah Times reported.

Mirza, who runs the Qur’an-O-Sunnat Research Academy and has over 3.1 million YouTube subscribers, was taken into custody amid growing social media backlash. Police have sealed his research academy, citing public order concerns.

This is not the first time Mirza has faced such allegations. Similar cases filed in 2020 and 2023 were dismissed, but his latest arrest has reignited concerns over Pakistan’s blasphemy laws.

Rights groups argue these laws are often exploited for personal vendettas and sectarian conflicts, with accused individuals facing mob violence and social ostracism even before trial. Mirza’s arrest underscores the growing risks reformist scholars and minorities face under these provisions.