IHC suspends CII’s blasphemy opinion against Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended the Council of Islamic Ideology’s (CII) opinion declaring Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza guilty of blasphemy until December 4. The court ruled that the CII’s opinion cannot be cited at any legal forum against the detained cleric.

The petition challenging the CII’s stance was filed by Dr Muhammad Salim Khaki, after which the court reserved its verdict on November 12. In its earlier ruling, the CII had stated that Mirza’s words amounted to disrespect toward the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

In its latest order, the court has directed the FIA, police, and other respondents to refrain from using the CII’s opinion in their arguments against Mirza.

An FIR had been registered against him at the Jhelum police station under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) and Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Mirza was arrested in August under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) in Jhelum after a group launched legal action over his remarks. His academy was also sealed, and a heavy contingent of police was deployed outside his residence. The cleric has more than 3.1 million subscribers on YouTube.

His videos frequently go viral, drawing both strong support and fierce criticism. He also survived an assassination attempt in 2021 and was previously barred from delivering speeches during Muharram due to concerns about sectarian tensions.