Jhelum [Pakistan], February 16 (ANI): Pakistan police arrested a man for allegedly attacking cleric Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza, Dawn reported.

As per the FIR, the incident took place in Jhelum at Mirza's Qur'an-o-Sunnat Research Academy, when, according to the complainant Muhammad Kashif Qureshi, some lecture attendees stayed back to take selfies with Engineer Mirza. The accused attacked the cleric and allegedly hurled punches at him on Sunday.

'Just then, a man attacked Engineer Mirza by grabbing his collar, throwing punches at him, and removing his turban. He violently threw his honourable turban onto the ground, strangled him with both hands to suffocate him, and loudly chanted slogans,' the FIR quoted Qureshi, as reported by Dawn.

District Police Officer (DPO) Jhelum Tariq Aziz Sindhu told Dawn that the police have arrested the accused and filed an FIR under section 324 (attempted murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code. The police official added that further investigation is underway.

The police officer said that the cleric had previously been attacked and was also granted protective custody last year under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) by Jhelum's deputy commissioner following an activist of the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) accusing him of blasphemy.

Last year, Engineer Mirza faced a blasphemy case over a video on his YouTube channel, which allegedly contained offensive remarks about the Holy Prophet and misinterpreted verses from Surah al-Nisa. The complainant argued that the remarks not only breached Pakistan's blasphemy laws but also deeply offended religious sentiments.

He was taken into custody by Jhelum police under Section 3 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO), before being handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

According to Dawn, the cleric survived an assassination attempt in March 2021. Engineer Mirza frequently posts his lectures on YouTube, where he enjoys a following of over three million subscribers. (ANI)