Religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza survived an attack at his Qur’an-o-Sunnat Research Academy in Jhelum, where police said a man tried to assault him after a lecture during a photo session with attendees. Mirza was not injured, and the suspect was arrested at the scene.
According to police accounts carried by multiple Pakistani outlets, the suspect was unarmed and allegedly raised slogans before lunging at Mirza. The FIR says he grabbed Mirza by the throat with both hands, but people present quickly overpowered him and handed him over to the police.
Reports said the attacker had approached Mirza under the pretext of taking a photograph after the session ended. Mirza’s lawyer said the man first handed over his phone for a picture and then suddenly moved in to attack.
Police have registered a case at City Police Station Jhelum. Some reports identified the suspect as a 26-year-old man from Abbottabad, while claims about alleged links to a proscribed organisation have been reported in media coverage but do not appear to have been fully established by public official statements.
The incident has revived concern over the safety of the cleric, who has faced threats and attacks before. Pakistani reports note that he previously survived a knife attack in March 2021 and had also faced legal and security pressures in recent years.
For Mirza’s followers, the latest attack will likely deepen worries over the risks attached to public religious discourse in Pakistan, especially for figures whose views often trigger fierce sectarian reactions. For now, though, the immediate outcome is clear: Mirza escaped unharmed, the suspect is in custody, and police say the investigation is continuing.
